North Dakota State University senior Zach McGlynn was named the recipient of the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award on March 13 at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The award is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at each of the NCAA’s 92 national championships. McGlynn earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from North Dakota State University with a perfect 4.0 GPA and is currently pursuing an MBA, also maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
This recognition marks the fifth time in six seasons that a member of the North Dakota State men’s track and field team has received this honor. The Bison have secured four of the past five awards in outdoor track and field, with Benji Phillips winning in 2021 and 2023, Jacob Rodin in 2022, and Sam Roller in 2025.
McGlynn, who is from Stephen, Minnesota, qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon after breaking his school’s record and ranking sixth nationally this season. The award highlights student-athletes who excel both academically and athletically at the national championship level.
Overall, this is the twenty-second time a North Dakota State student-athlete has won an Elite Scholar-Athlete Award, including ten recipients since 2021.
