For the second consecutive year, Valparaiso University men’s golfer Caleb VanArragon (Blaine, Minn. / Blaine) is a First Team Academic All-American.

VanArragon earned the high honor – which was announced by College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly known as CoSIDA) on Wednesday – thanks to his academic and athletic excellence as a fifth-year senior in head coach Dave Gring’s program during the 2023-24 season.

This marks the 16^th time a Valpo student-athlete in any sport has earned First Team Academic All-American honors and the first time a Valpo student-athlete in any sport has earned First Team Academic All-American status in two different seasons. VanArragon is the seventh Valpo student-athlete to become a multiple-time Academic All-American (first, second or third team). The department boasts a total of 41 Academic All-Americans (including first, second and third team), 29 in the last 20 years and at least one in 18 of those 20 years.

The former Valpo standout – who is now off to a successful start to his professional career – was honored as part of CSC’s Men’s At-Large Academic All-America First Team, which recognizes top-tier student-athletes from the sports of golf, gymnastics, fencing, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling. VanArragon was one of 16 student-athletes across all of those sports named to the first team. He joined Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht, Arizona State’s Ryggs Johnston and Lipscomb’s Will Holan as the only four men’s golfers nationally to earn Academic All-America First Team honors. He is one of just four student-athletes across all of the aforementioned sports to earn Academic All-America First Team recognition for the second straight year, joining Johnston, Harvard skier Remi Drolet and Utah lacrosse player Tyler Bradbury.

VanArragon finished his undergraduate tenure with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average in biology and statistics and posted a 4.00 GPA in the analytics & modeling master’s program. He was named Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Year after finishing the season with a program-record 69.62 scoring average and garnering an at-large NCAA Regional berth for the second straight year.

A five-time All-MVC honoree, VanArragon was one of two golfers from mid-major institutions named to the Division-I PING All-Midwest Region team this season. He earned MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and the MVC Elite 17 Award in each of the last four seasons and was the runner-up at this year’s MVC Championship.