De PERE, Wis. (AP) 鈥� Cora Anderson and Madison DeCleene spent their first two years at Division III St. Norbert College believing their academic pursuits would force them to end their athletic careers earlier than they wanted.
An NCAA pilot program gave them another chance to keep competing.
The program allows D-III athletes to continue playing at schools they no longer attend under certain conditions. Anderson and DeCleene remain on the track and field team for St. Norbert 鈥� where they spent their first two years 鈥� even though they now attend nearby Bellin College. The two schools are located about 10 miles apart outside Green Bay, Wisconsin.
鈥淣ow I鈥檓 able to achieve my full potential by pursuing both my academic goals and my athletic career as well,鈥� said DeCleene, who also runs cross country for St. Norbert. 鈥淏efore, it was thought that you could only choose one. Now I can do both.鈥�
DeCleene and Anderson are taking part in an academic partnership that enabled them to spend two years at St. Norbert before heading to Bellin to study nursing. Bellin doesn鈥檛 have varsity sports, which made the two athletes elgible for the pilot program; a formal academic agreement between the two schools is also required.
Jim Troha, chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, said the program tries to address changes in higher education.
鈥淚t recognizes existing academic programs and provides flexibility to expand participation opportunities for our student-athletes,” Troha said in April. 鈥淭he council also wants to be exceedingly clear: We have only approved a pilot program. We will assess this program over the course of this next year and decide its future.鈥�
Anderson and DeCleene are two of only three athletes nationwide currently in the program, whose participation requires NCAA approval on an individual basis. The opportunity surprised both athletes.
DeCleene and Anderson participated in their teams鈥� postseason senior activities as sophomores last year because they assumed they wouldn鈥檛 be able to continue competing once they transferred. They joined St. Norbert seniors in giving speeches at the postseason banquet, where they also received banners typically given to seniors.
Anderson remembers St. Norbert track coach Don Augustine pulling her aside when she was thanking him for all he鈥檇 done for her the last two years.
鈥淗e said, 鈥榊ou know, there might be a way for you to continue competing,鈥�” Anderson said. 鈥淚 was taken aback by it because this whole time I had come to the acceptance that I wasn鈥檛 going to be able to.鈥�
DeCleene got a similar message.
鈥淚 immediately went into the next room and I just started happy-crying to all my teammates,鈥� DeCleene said. 鈥淚 immediately called my parents and I was like, 鈥業 can run.鈥� I was just so excited. I had a grin on my face the rest of the day. I just couldn鈥檛 stop smiling.鈥�
The transfer portal has changed everything about building rosters in college sports, with name, image and likeness compensation also playing a huge role in Division I. Earlier this year, Albany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings informally floated the idea of players before going back to their schools better prepared to compete at a higher level.
DeCleene and Anderson are now pioneers in an unusual experiment, attending classes on one campus while participating in practices and meets at another school.
鈥淎thletically, it鈥檚 a little bit of a challenge,鈥� St. Norbert assistant athletic director for compliance Mike Wallerich said. 鈥淵ou have to be flexible with your schedules. The coaches, too, not just the athletes.鈥�
DeCleene said she runs on her own for an average of about 5-6 miles two days each week during cross country season to make up for St. Norbert team practices she鈥檚 unable to attend due to her coursework at Bellin.
The situation is trickier for Anderson, who competes in field events. She doesn鈥檛 have the equipment or land at home to practice throwing a javelin or discus. Anderson noted that she can practice her footwork on her own when she can鈥檛 throw.
Anderson said the opportunity to continue playing sports remains well worth it even the schedule juggling.
鈥淥ne of the things that really pushed me through high school was being a four-sport athlete,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very blessed to be able to continue competing throughout college. Even if it鈥檚 not as much as I thought it would be because I can鈥檛 make every practice, it鈥檚 still very nice to get the opportunity to continue.鈥�
Scheduling make this pilot program more feasible for athletes in some sports than others.
鈥淔or soccer practice or basketball or football practice, you can鈥檛 really do multiple days a week where you鈥檙e on your own,鈥� Augustine said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to benefit some of the individual sports. If you get a golfer or a tennis player or track and field or cross country athletes, some of those sports are going to see a little bit of a bump maybe more than some of the team sports.鈥�
While the NCAA has emphasized this is only a test of this program, DeCleene says she鈥檇 like to see it become more widespread. She wants more athletes to have this chance.
鈥淚t truly is the best of both worlds,鈥� DeCleene said. 鈥淯p until this point, it was thought you could only pursue your academic career or your athletic goals. Now this program is proof you are able to wear both hats and grow and flourish in both areas, to experience your full potential without any limits essentially.鈥�
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