Colorado College's Settles Named SCAC Man of the Year

Colorado College's Settles Named SCAC Man of the Year

SUWANEE, Ga. -- In exclusive voting by the senior woman administrators of the conference, James Settles of Colorado College has been selected the 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Man of the Year.

Settles is the fifth CC student-athlete to earn SCAC Man of the Year honors and the first since Cole Thumann took home the league's top honor in 2022

“We are so proud of James and the incredible career he has had here at CC," said Colorado College Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine. "To earn SCAC Man of the Year is such a crowning achievement. From his off-the-track accomplishments in the classroom to his hard work and dedication to his team, James embodies what it means to be a CC TIger. We are very proud of James for everything he has done with his time at CC and at the conference and national level.” 

The SCAC Man of the Year award recognizes senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership. The inaugural SCAC Man of the Year was presented in 2013.

Settles, a three-time All-American on the men's cross country and track & field teams, compiled a 4.00 grade-point average and graduated on May 19 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Earlier this month, he was named the NCAA Division III Academic All-American of the Year for cross country and track & field and earned a spot on the CSC Academic All-America At-Large First Team.

A native of Claremont, Calif., Settles was named the school's 2024 Van Diest Award winner as the top male senior student-athlete. He closed out his athletic career with his second consecutive All-America selection after finishing eighth in the 5k at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He placed fourth in the same race as a junior in 2023.

“James had an outstanding senior season to close out his time at Colorado College," said CC head cross country and assistant track & field coach Alex Nichols. "He has grown so much as a person and athlete; that growth would not have happened without his drive to succeed and improve. Coaching James in the cross-country and track programs has been a true privilege. His legacy will inspire generations of CC Tigers in the future.”
 
Settles, a four-time winner of the prestigious SCAC Elite 19 Award, collected a third All-America award with a fourth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships and led the Tigers to their fifth consecutive SCA team title last fall. He also captured two Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference individual cross country titles and four SCAC track & field individual titles during his four years at Colorado College, and is the school record holder in both the 5K (14:07.78) and 10K (29.46.90) on the track.

He was very active in the community during his four years at CC, including a Sacred Ground Tea Host, website editor of the Colorado College Cipher and a volunteer for Care & Share and TESSA Pasta in the Park. He was also selected as team captain in his final two years - for both the men's cross country and the track & field squads. 

"Running is a sport that you can do alone but is never the same as with a team," said Settles. "None of my teammates or I could have competed as well as we did if we weren't intentional about cultivating community. As a team captain, I had an important role in this initiative. Despite its difficulties my time as captain taught me how to foster a supportive and inclusive environment, how to motivate and inspire others, and how to balance individual goals with the collective success of the team."

James' older brother Christian Settles, who played tennis at fellow conference member Trinity, was a SCAC Man of the Year finalist in 2022.

Settles was one of four outstanding nominees considered by the SCAC Man of the Year Committee. The other candidates were:

  • Chrys Jackson, basketball, Centenary College
  • Maxwell Mims, baseball, Southwestern University
  • Michael Kohl, swimming, Trinity University

To read about past winners of the SCAC Man-of-the-Year award, click here.

Year-by-year SCAC Man of the Year Honorees:
2024 - James Settles, Colorado College
2023 - AJ Clark, basketball, Trinity University
2022 - Cole Thumann, swimming, Colorado College
2021 - Cameron Krimbill, tennis, Trinity University
2020 - Alexis Dimanche, tennis, Southwestern University
2019 - Riley Schaefer, baseball, Texas Lutheran University
2018 - Keenan Gumbs, basketball, Schreiner University
2017 - Soren Frykholm, soccer, Colorado College
2016 - Madison Ross, football, Austin College
2015 – Aaron Skinner, tennis, Trinity University
2014 – Kaleb Roush, swimming, Colorado College
2013 – Nick Lammers, soccer, Colorado College

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