Wheaton, Ill. - Leif Van Grinsven, a recent graduate of Wheaton, was selected as the 2019 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Man of the Year as announced on Tuesday. He is the first Wheaton student-athlete to receive the honor in the 12 years it has been awarded.

Van Grinsven was chosen through a voting process conducted by the CCIW Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives. He was chosen among a group of six other nominees from across the conference: including Augustana's Brandon Wilkerson (men's track & field/cross country), Elmhurst's Mac Harden (lacrosse), Illinois Wesleyan's Brady Rose (men's basketball), North Central's Dhruvil Patel (men's track & field/cross country) North Park's Ricky Pimentel (men's soccer).

The CCIW Man of the Year award honors senior male student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. The award was established in 2008 to recognize the conference's top male student-athlete, similar to the NCAA's recognition of its top female student-athlete with the Woman of the Year award, which the CCIW participates in by submitting a female nominee at the end of each academic year.

Van Grinsven graduated from Wheaton in May with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, posting a 3.98 cumulative GPA in his four years at Wheaton. He is a three-time Google Cloud Division III Academic All-American, earning First Team honors in 2019 and 2018, with Second Team recognition in 2017. He is one of only seven honorees among Wheaton's 67 individual Academic All-America recipients to earn the award three times in a career.

Van Grinsven was the recipient of the 2019 J. Richard Chase Distinguished Award of Merit, given to one graduating senior selected by the Wheaton College faculty and administration on the basis of high academic achievement and personal character. Other academic honors include the 2019 Wheaton College Scholastic Honors Society, and a 2018 Senior Scholarship, given to six rising seniors selected by the Wheaton College Alumni Association on the basis of academic achievement, campus/community involvement, spiritual growth, understanding of life mission, and future plans.

A four-time All-American in men's track and field (indoor and outdoor), he was twice recognized as an All-American in 2019. In March, he picked up All-American honors in the men's heptathlon with a third-place finish at the 2019 Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. During the indoor track & field season, he set a new school record in the heptathlon and won the CCIW Championship in the multi-event competition. Van Grinsven finished fourth in the decathlon at the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He was honored as the 2019 CCIW Field Athlete of the Meet at the 2019 CCIW Outdoor Championships as he won his third-consecutive CCIW decathlon title, with a conference record 7,009 points.

As a junior in 2018, he placed sixth at the Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the decathlon to earn All-American honors. His first career All-American accolade came as a sophomore in 2017 as he finished seventh in the decathlon at the NCAA Division III Championships.

In the summer of 2016, Van Grinsven volunteered with Rahab's Rope in Goa, India for six weeks. During this time, he planned and taught life skill classes to 20 middle school-aged boys, as well as math and English lessons to 40 middle school students. Van Grinsven also taught current and aspiring entrepreneurs at a business conference in Lahore, Pakistan and advised on the feasibility and design of a potential microfinance institute operated by the Pakistan Business Community (PBC). 

Van Grinsven was a member of Wheaton's International Engagement Office as an Orientation and Onboarding Manager as he met with program leadership to arrange international summer internships for Wheaton College students. He planned 15 on-boarding sessions that prepared students for international travel and service. He also served as a team captain for the Thunder men's track and field program.