VILLANOVA, Pa.—Sophomore middle distance runner Dan Watcke (Hinsdale, Ill.) was recognized for his combination of success on the track and in the classroom with the announcement of the 2025 Academic All-District Men's Track & Field Team as selected by College Sports Communicators. Watcke is an academic all-district selection for the first time in his career and will move on to the national ballot as a CSC Academic All-America® finalist.
 
Watcke has emerged as one of the top 800 meter runners in the country early in his collegiate career. This past year marked his first collegiate indoor track & field season and second outdoor campaign, with his accomplishments for the year including two school records as well as first team All-America honors indoors. Watcke finished fifth in the final of the 800 meters at the indoor NCAA Championships after earlier capturing All-BIG EAST honors with a runner-up finish at the conference championships. He set the indoor school record in the 800 meters with a lifetime best mark of 1:46.32 at Penn State on January 31, then two weeks later in Boston ran the third-fastest 1000 meters in collegiate history with an indoor school record time of 2:17.77.
 
This year's momentum for Watcke began during his collegiate debut season in 2024 when he was a BIG EAST runner-up in the 800 meters outdoors to seven-time conference champion and teammate Sean Dolan. Watcke went on to reach the national quarterfinal round of the 800 meters at the NCAA East Preliminary to close his 2024 outdoor collegiate season, and he matched that accomplishment as a sophomore this year. Along the way he recorded an outdoor PR of 1:46.63 in the BIG EAST final.
 
Watcke is majoring in Political Science and has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for having a 3.2 or higher semester GPA in each of his first three semesters on campus. He was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for track & field in 2023-24, with this year's team along with the BIG EAST All-Academic Team still to be announced.
 
The 2025 Academic All-District® Men's Track & Field teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes men's track & field honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members.