BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – UIndy junior Ben Nagel was named the recipient of the Elite 90 award at the 2021 NCAA Division II Men's Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday. The honor is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships.
 
The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
 
Nagel currently sports a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA as an Actuarial Science major at UIndy. He is the program record holder in the indoor 800-meter race, and just Friday afternoon finished 12th in the 800 prelims at Nationals to conclude his indoor season.
 
Nagel is the sixth Greyhound and first-ever UIndy male student-athlete to receive the Elite 90 Award. Originally called the Elite 88, the honor was presented to former UIndy volleyball All-American Kyleigh Turner in December of 2009, and was later earned by Greyhound golfers Allison Tyler (May 2010), Jenny Konop (May 2012), Annika Haynes (May 2018) and Kennedy Holtsclaw (May 2019).
 
The 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships continue through Saturday. Click or tap here for more information.