DECORAH, IOWA – Two-sport athlete and conference champion, Luther College senior Jack Bell of Madison, Wisconsin, was named one of 42 winter NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients on Friday, May 9. 
 
"Jack Bell has been an extraordinary student-athlete at Luther College, and his selection as one of the handful of individuals to receive the winter NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship brings national recognition to his performance inside and outside the classroom," President Brad Chamberlain said. "At Luther, athletics is about competition, character and community, and Jack Bell models each with a measure of excellence that sets him apart."
 
Bell is the 43rd Luther student to earn the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and the first since three Norse were honored in 2017, Isaac Jensen, Clare Slagel and Justin Kreiter. Bell is the first male swimmer at Luther and the third soccer athlete to receive the award. 
 
"Jack embodies the values of Luther and has been an exceptional student and a valued contributor to the life of the Luther community as well as being a very successful multi-sport athlete," Luther's NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Rob Larson said. "The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship is one of the highest recognitions given by the NCAA and it recognizes not only athletic accomplishments but also considers service and scholarship in equal measure."
 
A product of Memorial High in Madison, Wis., Bell came to Luther to pursue both sports in 2021-22 and has led his teams to five American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) titles and one league runner-up finish.
 
"I'm thrilled Jack has been selected as a postgraduate scholar," Norse Director of Athletics Renae Hartl said. "He joins an extensive list of Luther athletes continuing the long tradition of Norse student-athletes receiving NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships since our first in 1966."
 
"I am extremely grateful to receive this honor; more importantly, I believe it is an amazing reflection on the Luther College community," Bell said. "It takes a lot of moving parts to achieve an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and I want to take this chance to thank every single community member who supports our student athletes at Luther College. These four years build up our athletes on the field, but more importantly, provide opportunities for us to lead and give back, which ultimately help shape us into better human beings. This is truly the essence of Division III athletics."
 
 "Jack has embodied what it means to be a Norse," Head Swimming and Diving Coach Aaron Zander said. "His athletic success speaks for itself, but his dedication, leadership and perseverance are remarkable. Along with his service to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at every level, he was an inaugural member of the swimming and diving leadership council and he helped launch The Hidden Opponent group on campus focused on student-athlete mental health."
 
Bell was the A-R-C Diver of the Meet at the 2024 championship, and has helped lead Luther's men to the A-R-C Championship titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025. An NCAA Regionals qualifier for three straight years, he was five-time conference champion with titles on the 1-meter board in 2022, 2024 and 2025 to go with his 2022 and 2024 3-meter titles. He was also a three-time conference runner-up in diving. In addition, Bell earned all-conference honors in the 400 freestyle relay in 2023 and runner-up honors in the 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay in 2022. He is second all-time for 11 dives on the 1-meter board and third all-time for 3-meter.
 
In his fall sport of soccer, he was twice named A-R-C All-Conference including first-team in 2023. Bell started 56 of his 57 career games in goal for the Norse, leading Luther to the league regular season title in 2024. He was also a part of the A-R-C Tournament title in 2022 leading to an appearance in the NCAA tournament, the 11th in program history. His 1.35 goals against average includes nine career clean sheets which ranks eighth all-time at Luther.
 
"Jack has been a consistent leader from the moment he arrived on campus," Norse Men's Soccer Coach Chris Garcia-Prats said. "He was elected by his peers as team captain and led our program to a 2024 conference championship. Jack's leadership goes far beyond our team. In addition to being a two-sport athlete, he was president not only of Luther's Student Athletic Advisory Council, but took an additional step to join our conference SAAC, and finally became a member of the NCAA national SAAC. He is consistently engaged at all levels and looking to make a difference."
 
Working with members of the Luther softball team, Bell partnered with Claire Hruby '23 on the creation of a campus chapter of The Hidden Opponent, which included events at home swim meets with special team caps and included softball wearing green uniforms for mental health awareness.
 
"It's rare for an athlete to compete in more than one unique sport in college, let alone what was essentially three, and Jack has done it at the highest level," Zander added. "He's managed code-switching from one sport to another and balancing sports while considering his mental health and advocating across our college for mental-health awareness."
 
Among his other community service work, he organized and led the Norse men's soccer team's annual second grade sports clinic with the Decorah Community School District. He also participated with the local Special Olympics chapter and organized his soccer teammates to volunteer at a local nursing home.
 
"Jack has made an impact at all levels through his community service on campus and in the community," Garcia-Prats said.
 
Bell will be at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, next fall as an assistant soccer coach and graduate student pursuing his master's degree in sports leadership.
 
"I am always thrilled and proud to see my graduating players go into the coaching ranks, especially into NCAA Division III," Garcia-Prats said. "Jack will be an outstanding coach in the future and provide an amazing experience to his future student-athletes."
 
An exercise science major who will graduate from Luther magna cum laude this spring, Bell is a two-time College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic All-American. He is also a three-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree for both men's soccer and men's swimming and diving, and is a three-time selection for the A-R-C All-Academic Teams. 
 
The NCAA awards its Postgraduate Scholarship three times during the academic year – fall, winter and spring -- with Bell's selection a part of the winter sports list. The competition is across all three divisions of NCAA competition, with 21 scholarships provided to men and women per season. Of the 2024-25 winter recipients, ten were from Division III schools.
 
The $10,000 postgraduate scholarship is a one-time award intended to support graduate study, and is given to athletes following their final year of competition. Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on their athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service and leadership.
 
NCAA Release