GREENWOOD, Ind.–University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Blake Postler and UW-Whitewater’s Sam Vargas have been named to the 2025-26 NCAA Division III Academic All-America® Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field Team. Postler was a second team selection, while Vargas claimed third team recognition.
 
Postler is majoring in social work and maintains a 3.80 grade point average. He won the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship, becoming the second Division III athlete to finish the race in under 50 seconds with a program record time of 49.88 seconds. He also took third in the 110-meter hurdles in 13.88 seconds – another program record. At the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship, he placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles.
 
During the WIAC outdoor championship, Postler won the 400-meter hurdles with a conference record time of 50.87 seconds.
 
Vargas is majoring in human performance and sustains a 4.00 grade point average. He finished eighth in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship. At the outdoor national championship, Vargas was a member of the fifth-place 4×100-meter relay team.
 
During the WIAC indoor championship, he was second in the 200-meter dash. Vargas finished third in the 100-meter dash at the conference outdoor championship with the second-best time in program history at 10.40 seconds.

Editor’s note: This announcement is from the WIAC website.