Division III Week Student Spotlight – DeAndre Beck

This week is NCAA Division III Week and member institutions across the country are celebrating the seventh-year event. 

Division III Week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, is intended to recognize the academic and athletic accomplishments as well as the campus leadership and community service efforts of Division III student-athletes. 

As part of Huntingdon College's participation in Division III Week, five student-athletes will be featured this week. Huntingdon senior DeAndre Beck is today's featured student-athlete.

 By Audrianna Hargitt

Sports Information Assistant

Name: DeAndre Beck

Year: Senior

Hometown: Millbrook, Ala.

Major: Psychology

Career Goals: Plans to pursue a career as a sports psychologist or a coach

Sport: Wrestling  

Athletic Accomplishments: Beck was a three-year wrestler for the Hawks. He set the fourth-year program's NCAA-era record for career wins with a 48-13 record. As a junior, he set the Hawks' NCAA-era record for wins in a season with 17 before breaking the mark as a senior with a 26-5 record. As a senior, he turned in the Hawks' best finish in a NCAA Regional with a fifth-place finish in the 141-pound weight class. As a junior, he became the first Hawk to place in a NCAA Regional with a sixth-place finish.  

Academic Achievements and Campus Activities: Beck has been named to the USA South Academic All-Conference team and is a two-time selection to the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Division III All-Academic team. He is a Huntingdon Ambassador and has also helped coach youth wrestling.

What made you feel like Huntingdon was the right place for you? "I was able to be close to home and I felt like Huntingdon was a great fit for me to grow as an athlete and a person. I was able to meet a great group of teammates and coaches that cared for me as a person."

What has made your Huntingdon experience unique? "Having professors that care for you as a person makes Huntingdon unique. I was not just a number in their class. They care about who you are and who you aspire to be. They want to see you succeed."

How has Huntingdon challenged you academically and athletically? "It is a fine line to balance between academics and athletics. I really had to stay on top of my game to make sure I kept my grades up and worked to be the best wrestler I could be."

What has been your biggest highlight as a Huntingdon student-athlete? "I made the Dean's List for three semesters in-a-row. I set a school record with 26 wins and won most outstanding wrestler in the Southeast Wrestling Conference this year. It was really special because that is something I had never done."

As a student-athlete, what is your impression of Division III now compared to your first season? "It is not a walk in the park. The men and women competing in Division III athletics are going to compete just as hard as any division."