EUGENE, Ore. – North Dakota State University junior decathlete Paul Olson was named the recipient of the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award on Friday at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Elite Scholar-Athlete Award (formerly the NCAA Elite 90 Award) is presented to the single student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at each of the NCAA's 92 national championships.
Olson earned his bachelor's degree in management information systems with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. He is currently working toward an MBA, also with a 4.0 GPA.
The NDSU men's track & field team has now claimed this prestigious honor six times in the last six years. The Bison have won five of the past six awards in outdoor track & field with Benji Phillips in 2021 and 2023, Jacob Rodin in 2022, Sam Roller in 2025, and Olson this year. NDSU's Zach McGlynn earned the award for the 2026 indoor track & field season.
This is the 23rd Elite Scholar-Athlete Award won by an NDSU student-athlete, including a remarkable 11 recipients since 2021.
Olson (Oxbow, N.D. / Kindred HS) placed 18th in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships on Thursday.
The Elite Scholar-Athlete award recognizes the true essence of student-athletes by honoring the individuals who have reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers.
By The Numbers:
- 23rd total NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete / Elite 90 Award for NDSU
- 11th NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete / Elite 90 Award for NDSU since 2021
- 6th NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete / Elite 90 Award in 6 years for NDSU in men's track & field
