The Residence Hall/Recreation Center track was already packed for the 32nd annual Alumni Track & Field Meet, hosted every January to invite track and field alumni back to race and catch up with old teammates. But the building seemed even busier than usual on Friday night, thanks to an extra event hosted after the meet had concluded.
In what will probably go down in school history as “The Year of Al Carius,” a variety of offices on campus came together to host a brief celebration for a person that Dr. Hammond called “the most influential teacher-coach in school history.”
To celebrate head cross-country and track and field coach Al Carius’ illustrious 50-year career, North Central hosted a recognition ceremony for the beloved coach, which included a 16-minute video detailing his career at NCC, and Dr. Hammond unveiling a plaque in Carius’ honor.
Beyond the awards and the high praise given, what most likely meant the most to Carius were all the alumni and their families who came to show their support and offer a hug or a handshake afterwards.
“I think, for a lot of people, [Al Carius] is North Central College,” said NCC’s sports information director Clark Teuscher. “There aren’t too many people around here that haven’t been significantly impacted by what they do here by being around him or working with him.”
Athletic director Jim Miller opened up the ceremony by making a few remarks about how Carius has impacted North Central in the 50 years he’s been at the college before introducing the video created by NCC TV, which went all the way back to Carius’ beginnings at NCC and talked about the good, the bad, and the best times of his career as a coach.
After the video’s conclusion, President Hammond came up and spoke about what Carius has meant to North Central.
“What Al Carius means to NCC cannot be summed up in mere words,” said Hammond during his speech. “His legacy is in the lives of those he influenced.”
Dr. Hammond then presented Carius with a plaque to thank him for his service and dedication to North Central, and Carius spoke briefly afterwards, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. He shone most when he was thanking others, including his family, most of whom were in attendance, coaches, and all those he’d coached or gotten to know over his 50-year career.
That’s the part of Carius’ legacy that everyone will remember- the lives he touched and how he so greatly impacted everyone who knew him.
“For those of us who had the true pleasure to get to know him, Al is representative of the spirit and of the essence of what it means to be part of the North Central family,” said Adrian Aldrich, an NCC alum and the current director of development and alumni affairs at the school. “All of the championships, the banners, the trophies, the accolades- they’re all representative of real people.”
Hundreds came to the meet and stayed until the end of the ceremony to talk to Al afterwards. He made time for every single one, asking them about their families, how they were doing after school, posing for pictures, and laughing and smiling with everyone he talked to. It was, for everyone involved, an emotional night.
“[I was] overwhelmed seeing the memories that came back, from the history of seeing the different things that happened,” Carius said. “The flashbacks were really emotionally enriching in my life. It was fun.”
