December 7, 2020 - Senior Spotlight Series - Matthew Kraus (Men's Cross Country)

Career Highlights

• Named to MAC Fall Academic Honor Roll 3x.
• Named to MAC Winter and Spring Academic Honor Roll 3x each.
• Top finish of 34th place at MAC CC Championships in 2019.
• Named to MAC Indoor T&F Academic All-MAC Team 3x.
• Named to MAC Outdoor T&F Academic All-MAC Team once.
• Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team 2x in T&F.
• Named to CoSIDA Academic All-America Third-Team in 2019 and First-Team in 2020.
• Named NCAA Division III Indoor T&F Men's Elite 90 Award Winner in 2020.
• Top indoor T&F times in career: 1:52.91 (800-meters); 2:40.68 (1,000-meters); 4:24.71 (mile); 8:56.64 (3,000-meters).
• Top outdoor T&F times in career: 50.62 (400-meters); 1:53.86 (800-meters); 3:59.60 (1,500-meters)
• Qualified for NCAA Division III National Championships in Indoor T&F in the 800-meters in 2020.
• MAC Champion in DMR (2020 - Indoor), 4x800 (2019 and 2020 - Indoor), 4x400 (2018 and 2019 - Outdoor), 4x800 (2019 - Outdoor).
• All-MAC Second-Team in 800 Meters in indoor T&F in 2020 and 2019 outdoor T&F.
• All-MAC Third-Team in 4x400 relay in indoor T&F in 2018 and 2020 and 4x800 in 2018 and 800-meters at 2018 outdoor championships.

Question and Answer
1 - What has been your favorite sport memory on the field or off over the past four years?

• My favorite memory in track and field was winning the outdoor MAC 4x400 title my freshmen year.  All members of our relay had a fantastic day, and we put together our best performance of the year to defeat very formidable competition.  Our time ended up breaking the school record by six seconds as we ran one of the fastest times in the country that year.  I will never forget the incredible atmosphere of that race at the end of the meet.

2 - What is one thing you'd like to tell all of your underclassmen teammates and/or future SA's in your sport?

• I would tell future track/cross country athletes to focus on doing all of the little things day to day.  It's easy to set big goals and want to achieve them quickly, but a champion is built slowly through consistent effort and intentionality when it comes to small tasks like stretching, doing strengthening exercises, sleeping well, and eating healthy.  Also, I would tell athletes to not take any moment for granted.

3 - What are or do you have any post-graduate plans?

• I will be attending medical school beginning in the Fall of 2021.

4 - What is one thing you would tell your younger self that you learned during your time at DeSales?

• I would tell my younger self to appreciate the good and bad moments when it comes to sport.  I've spent lots of time being frustrated with many injuries, yet these trials have ultimately made a stronger and more resilient athlete and person.  While misfortune is hard to appreciate in the moment, it offers a great opportunity for growth.

5 - What made DeSales the place to be for you?

• The encouraging environment of DeSales University made it the perfect place for me to cultivate and grow my talents.  Every member of the community, whether it be teachers, coaches, or fellow students, makes it a priority to encourage you to become the best version of yourself.  DeSales has allowed me to have a meaningful impact on those around me, and has allowed me to grow exponentially in faith, scholarship, and athletics.

From Coach Weiner
"Matthew is a once in a generation type student-athlete.  A MAC conference champion, an NCAA indoor championship qualifier, an All-American, and an NCAA Elite-90 award winner. Matt has achieved the highest levels of success on and off the track.  Perhaps even more impressive is his devotion to his faith in god, and his 4.0 GPA.  Matt has his eyes set on medical school next fall, and has already been accepted.  We are blessed to have him on our roster for another semester and cannot wait to see what he can do in spring track."