CCIW Student-Athlete Spotlight (June 2020)
Each month, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) will highlight the accomplishments of a conference student-athlete. This month, we look into the career of North Central graduated men's track & field student-athlete Izaiah Webb.

Story by Mike Krizman, CCIW Assistant Executive Director

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – North Central student-athletes wear a t-shirt with the word "Influence" printed on the front and according to his head coach, Izaiah Webb is a living embodiment of the word.

"It's not just a word for Izaiah, but a living attitude for leadership," said North Central men's track & field coach Frank Gramarosso. 

Webb's influence was on full display during his four years on the North Central campus. Not only did he excel in the classroom and on the Cardinals' track & field team, but also as a member of the campus community, serving as co-president of the Black Student-Association and the student representative on North Central's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. Webb was also a resident assistant for three years. 

Before graduating, he was one of five winners of North Central's Outstanding Service to Student Life Award.

"Izaiah is superior in his ability to relate to others through cooperation, patience and many other strong character traits that guide his life," Gramarosso said. "His academic record and personal attributes stand alongside his athletic achievements."

Influencing Change

Webb describes himself as a shy person, but has known since middle school that he had a passion for being an activist. College provided the platform to step out of his comfort zone.   

As a member of the Black Student-Association and the student representative on North Central's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, Webb used his influence to bring a voice to the underrepresented. And while recent events following the death of George Floyd while in police custody have been overwhelming according to Webb, he notes that it's time for young people to speak up and formulate solutions. 

"There's too many times in the past where things have gotten to this point, but nothing changed," he said. "It's fine to protest, but what we really need is action. We need young people to use their voices in coming up with solutions."

But that's just one piece of the puzzle according to Webb. Listening and uplifting minorities' voices are equally important.

"We also need people to listen," he said. "It really revolves around compassion and empathy for others; being able to put yourself into the shoes of others and opening the doors to understanding. We don't say the things we say to attack anyone's beliefs. We're doing it so that people feel safe in this country and have an equal voice." 

Webb noted that it took some time, but he feels that North Central College has taken the necessary steps to move the needle forward by giving a platform for minority students to share their stories to a broad range of individuals on campus.

"I had the honor of serving on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, which meets bi-weekly to discuss what can be done and to also ask questions," he said. "The task force continues to do important work in helping make the college a more comfortable place for students of color."

Conquering Adversity

A lower back injury during February of his sophomore year forced Webb to miss the entire 2018 outdoor season. The struggle to get back to competing again was a physical and mental hurdle. The injury required him to sit out from all activity for eight weeks before physical therapy sessions helped work his muscles back into shape. But the mental hurdles took a little more time to overcome.

"I'd been doing sports my whole life, so having to sit out for eight weeks made me feel like I almost lost a part of myself," he said. "It also felt like I was losing everything that I had built up over the previous six years of pole vaulting."

But 2019 was a bounce-back year for Webb. He claimed the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) indoor title in the triple jump (46-2 1/2) and earned all-conference honors with a fifth place finish in the pole vault (14-3 1/2). He was also the highest non-qualifier at the 2019 NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in the pole vault.

During the 2019 outdoor season, he was again an all-conference performer in the pole vault and triple jump. Webb concluded his collegiate career with the 2020 CCIW indoor pole vault title (15-3 1/2) and a second place finish in the triple jump (46-1 1/4).

"My confidence was low (after the injury), but the college provided sports performance counselors and they really helped me gain my confidence back," Webb said. 

His time working with North Central's sports performance counselors provided exposure to a career that he was already interested in doing following his time as an undergrad student.

Spreading Influence after College

Webb recently graduated with majors in exercise science and psychology. He plans to return to his hometown of DeKalb and attend Northern Illinois University as a graduate student this fall, with the ultimate goal of becoming a sports psychologist.

He also plans to serve as an assistant coach on the DeKalb High School track & field team beginning next spring.   

"My ultimate goal is to be a sports psychologist, and I'd also like to earn my doctorate and teach in that line of work," Webb said. "And since I'll be coaching at DeKalb High School while I'm working on my master's degree, this will be an opportunity to apply what I'm learning."

CCIW Student-Athlete Spotlight
Izaiah Webb - North Central (June 2020)
Tori Stuart - Millikin (May 2020)
Skylar LeVine - Illinois Wesleyan (April 2020)
Emily Clausen - Elmhurst (March 2020)
Colton Klein - Carthage (February 2020)
Michaela Johnson - Carroll (January 2020)
Luke Sawicki - Augustana (December 2019)
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2018-19 academic year, the CCIW honored over 2,200 academic all-conference recipients, 18 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 43 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, and over 100 all-Americans.