NDSU backup quarterback Carson Wentz has received the prestigious NCAA Elite 89 Award. The award was presented at the NCAA Division I football championship banquet Jan. 3, at the Frisco, Texas, Convention Center.



The Elite 89 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who is participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA championships. Wentz, a sophomore from Bismarck, N.D., has a 4.0 GPA in physical education.

An award founded by the NCAA, the Elite 89 recognizes the essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers.

Wentz is the fourth NDSU student-athlete to earn the award. He joins women's golfer Amy Anderson and women's track and field competitor Whitney Carlson, who each won at the 2011 national championships, as well as linebacker Esley Thorton, who was the 2013 football championship game recipient.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.