PUEBLO, Colo. - The NCAA announced Northwest Nazarene senior Laurenz Waldbauer as the recipient of the NCAA ELITE 90 award at the 2025 NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

Waldbauer, majoring in Global Business, has carried a perfect 4.00 GPA throughout his college career. Waldbauer was presented with the award during the outdoor track & field championships on Saturday following his javelin competition, where he made history with a National Runner-Up finish.

Waldbauer is the second NNU student-athlete to earn the prestigious honor, joining baseball's Ben Johnson in 2021 when the Nighthawks reached the DII College World Series.

The Elite 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite 90 is proudly awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.

For more information on the Elite 90 award winners, go to www.ncaa.org/elite90.