Illinois Wesleyan University junior Mason Funk was named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-America selection on April 14, adding to the men’s basketball program’s national lead in this honor. Funk becomes the program’s 28th Academic All-America recipient, extending Illinois Wesleyan’s margin over Kansas and Duke, which each have 22 all-time honorees.
This recognition highlights both academic and athletic achievement within collegiate sports. Being selected as an Academic All-American is considered a significant accomplishment for student-athletes who excel in their studies while competing at high levels.
Funk is the first Titan since Matthew Leritz in 2022 to receive first team status. He joins Kannyn Boyd from women’s volleyball as the second Illinois Wesleyan athlete to earn this distinction during the current academic year. The university now has a total of 178 all-time Academic All-Americans, ranking among the top-25 across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III and top-10 in Division III.
During his junior season, Funk led Illinois Wesleyan to its highest win total since 2014 and helped secure an Elite Eight appearance for the first time since 2022. A biology major on a pre-med track with a grade point average of 3.95, he also received several athletic honors including D3hoops.com Fifth Team All-America and CCIW Player of the Week awards. He averaged 15.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while leading defensively with notable statistics such as 73 blocks—second-most in school history—and being seventh nationally.
The Titans finished their season with a record of 26-5, capturing both regular season and tournament championships in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) for the first time ever before winning three NCAA Tournament games. The team participates in intercollegiate athletics under the Titans nickname with green and white colors according to the official website. Home games are played on campus in Bloomington, Illinois.
The Titans have previously won NCAA Division III national championships in both 1997 and 2001 according to their official website. Looking ahead, continued success by student-athletes like Funk may further strengthen Illinois Wesleyan’s reputation for excellence both academically and athletically.
