Contact: Kerry Kahl, Cornell College Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications, kkahl@cornellcollege.edu

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Cornell senior all-American Isaac vanWestrienen has been selected the 2025 Midwest Region Men’s Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
VanWestrienen is Cornell’s first-ever recipient of the top regional award in cross country.
 
VanWestrienen placed third at Saturday’s NCAA Division III Championships, recording Cornell’s highest all-America men’s finish in program history. He posted an incredible 8K time of 23:39, shaving 18 seconds off his previous school-record mark.
 
VanWestrienen was crowned Midwest Region champion on Nov. 15 in Waverly. He won his second consecutive Midwest Conference individual title Nov. 1 in Cedar Rapids.
 
A three-time NCAA cross country qualifier, vanWestrienen notched three victories and a pair of third-place finishes in five races this fall. He was clocked in 24:00 or faster in four of the races.
 
VanWestrienen is Cornell’s first male student-athlete to claim four all-America awards in one calendar year. The 2025 track & field seasons saw the Conifer, Colo., native medal twice at outdoors (third – 10000m, fifth – 5000m) and once at indoors (fifth – 5000m).