Ottumwa, IA – Sophomore Kaden Banks (Onalaska, WI/Holmen) of the Indian Hills Men's Track & Field team has been named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) College Division Academic All-American Male Team Member of the Year, announced by CSC's Academic All-America® Committee Wednesday.
Banks' outstanding academic and athletic year at Indian Hills was recognized by the national committee as the sophomore was selected as the top all-around performer on this year's College Division Academic All-America® Team. Banks becomes the first Indian Hills student-athlete to earn the prestigious honor. Just 0.2% of all NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA at-large men's student-athletes earned the the title of of Academic All-American® in 2024-25.
The College Division Academic All-America® Team is comprised of student-athletes across more than 500 member colleges of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), in addition to Canadian institutions and other institutions who are not affiliated with the NCAA and NAIA divisions. One individual is selected to represent each of the major college divisions – NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and College Division.
In addition to Banks' honor, the sophomore was also named to the CSC Academic All-America® First-Team and the CSC Academic All-District® Team while earning three NJCAA All-American honors for his performance with the men's track & field team. Banks was twice named to the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Academic All-Region First-Team (3.5-4.0 GPA) and was selected to the 2025 NJCAA All-Academic First-Team (4.0 GPA).
In his lone season at Indian Hills, Banks starred for the Warriors' throws program that ascended to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) No. 1 Event Squad in the nation in multiple throws events between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Banks brought home third-place finishes in the shot put at both the NJCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Banks added a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA DI Men's Track & Field Outdoor National Championship in the discus throw.
Banks captured the NJCAA Region 11 Outdoor Track & Field Championship in the shot put while earning a runner-up finish during the indoor championships. In total, Banks was a three-time NJCAA All-Region 11 selection. The sophomore was tapped as the ICCAC Track & Field Athlete of the Week for the week of March 31 – April 6.
Banks, who will continue his academic and athletic career at NCAA Division I University of South Florida next year, ranks second all-time in school history in three separate events – indoor shot put, outdoor shot put, and outdoor discus.
Along with Banks' selection to the CSC's Academic All-America® Team, Indian Hills saw three additional individuals earn Academic All-America® honors - Jaquan East (men's wrestling - 1st Team), Cole Huebner (baseball - 1st Team), Abdoulaye Fall (men's basketball - 2nd Team).
Read More: East Named First-Team Academic All-American®
Read More: Huebner Named First-Team Academic All-American®
Read More: Fall Named Second-Team Academic All-American®
BANKS' FILE
- 3x NJCAA Track & Field All-American
- 3x NJCAA All-Region 11 selection
- 2025 CSC Academic All-American® Team Member of the Year
- 2025 CSC Academic First-Team All-American®
- 2025 CSC Academic All-District®
- 2024-25 NJCAA All-Academic First-Team (4.0 GPA)
- 2x ICCAC Academic All-Region First-Team (3.5-4.0 GPA)
- Committed to the University of South Florida