With countless great stories across the North Central College campus and the wider Cardinal community, we’ve created a new way to share them.
Welcome to 1861, the North Central College Podcast
Join us on this journey. Let’s see where it leads. A liberal arts education is about examining diverse perspectives, asking questions, and engaging in dialogue, so we’ll aim to have conversations that will get you thinking — inspire and challenge you. Maybe even smile ... or laugh.
Whether you are a current or prospective student, faculty or staff member, alum, friend or fan, we hope you enjoy a bird’s-eye view of what makes North Central College special.
This fall, the North Central women’s triathlon team did something that no other Cardinal team had done before: they won a fourth consecutive team national championship. It was their eighth national title in nine seasons. Head Coach Tyler Woodward M’20 joins senior Bethany Smeed ’26 and sophomore Keeley Mick ’28 to share how each of them discovered the sport, why they chose North Central and what it takes to compete at a championship level. They describe the team’s close bond; the confidence and mental strength built through rigorous training and the experience of racing in an emerging NCAA sport.
Together, they highlight not only the keys to national success, but the friendships and personal growth that come from being part of the close-knit North Central triathlon program.
