Contact: Sam Fretto, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
Oct. 24, 2024- North Central College men’s cross country captain and senior Nathan Halbrader is at a crossroads in his cross country career. The 2025 graduate has suffered an injury that will keep him sidelined the rest of his senior season, but he wants to continue to compete.
“I might be able to file for a medical hardship after the season ends and be able to come back for an additional cross country season.” Halbrader said, “It’s my senior year; I’d like to go out with a bang and run to my true potential. An injury is definitely not the way I want to go.”
Recruited as a freshman, Halbrader has enjoyed a very decorative career as a member of the Cardinals. In addition to competing in 16 career races, Halbrader is a two-time Academic All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin member, a CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week award winner, and an All-CCIW Second Team selection in 2023.
Hard work is nothing new for Halbrader, who was a double-sport athlete throughout high school. He participated in both track & field as well as soccer before transitioning to cross country.
When the captain of the men’s cross country team decided to make the switch to cross country in high school, Halbrader stepped up right away and became a team leader.
“My high school program had a small team and a wide range of talent. I tried to uplift the guys and make everyone feel included by hosting summer training camps.” Halbrader said, “I would show up every single day over the summer. If you wanted to come, you could come. If you didn’t want to, you didn’t have to.”
Halbrader is stepping up as a leader for North Central by traveling with the team at meets and cheering them on as he continues to rehab his injury.
Halbrader, who is a double major in accounting and management, went in depth on the choice of his majors and said his mother is an inspiration for him.
“I’ve always wanted to follow in my mother's footsteps, and she does accounting work back home. I’ve always been a super organized numbers person. When I took some accounting classes in high school, it just clicked.”
Whether the 2025 grad comes back for one final cross country season or graduates and enters the workforce, he is grateful of his time at North Central and all it has to offer.
“North Central has the small classroom sizes, the community feel on campus, the networking opportunities, and the job opportunities post-graduation, as well. Those things brought me to North Central.”
Halbrader continued, “This is a place where you can really discover who you are. It turns boys into men, and you can find your strengths and weaknesses and what it takes to overcome those challenges. North Central prepares you for your future ahead and how to overcome obstacles along the way.”
The Cardinals return to the course for the CCIW Championship on Nov. 2 at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Illinois, as they look to win their 50th consecutive conference championship. Click HERE for the full schedule.
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