GREENWOOD, Ind. — Two College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) student-athletes were recognized Tuesday when College Sports Communicators (CSC) released its 2025-26 Academic All-America® men’s basketball teams for NCAA Division III. Illinois Wesleyan junior Mason Funk received First Team Academic All-America® honors, while Wheaton junior Soren Richardson was named to the Second Team.
 
Funk added to Illinois Wesleyan’s long-standing history in the award program, becoming the 28th Academic All-America® selection in the history of the Titans’ men’s basketball program. With his selection, Illinois Wesleyan remained the national leader in all-time honorees for the sport.
 
A junior from Normal, Ill., Funk carries a 3.95 GPA as a biology major on the pre-med track. He helped lead the Titans to a 26-5 overall record, CCIW regular-season and tournament championships and the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 2022.
 
On the floor, Funk averaged 15.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while totaling 73 blocked shots, the second-highest single-season mark in program history. He also received D3hoops.com Fifth Team All-America recognition following the season.
 
Richardson became the 11th CSC Academic All-America® selection in the history of Wheaton men’s basketball. His honor continued a stretch in which Wheaton Athletics has produced at least one Academic All-American in every academic year since 1998-99.
 
The junior from Wheaton, Ill. maintains a 3.72 GPA as a Christian formation & ministry major. Richardson averaged 22.4 points per game this season and repeated as the CCIW scoring leader after posting 23.0 points per game in conference play.
 
Richardson was also named a finalist for the Jostens Trophy. He enters the closing stages of his career ranked 26th in program history with 1,457 points and 12th in career three-pointers with 165.
 
The Academic All-America® Division III men’s basketball teams honor student-athletes for combined achievement in competition and in the classroom. The five members of the 2025-26 First Team posted a collective 3.88 grade-point average, while Mason Dopirak of MSOE was named the Division III Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year.