Division III Week Profile - Jeremy Reinert

The NCAA celebrates the second annual Division III Week on April 8-14. In honor of the event, SimpsonAthletics.com will take a close look at five individuals who personify what it means to be a Division III student-athlete.

Share your Division III story by using the #WhyD3 hashtag on Twitter.

Today, we take a close look at the career of senior soccer player, Jeremy Reinert. A four-year letterwinner and three-year captain on the soccer team, Reinert helped lead a seven-game turnround from his freshman year to his senior year. As a sophomore, the team went 5-12 and missed out on the conference tournament. By his senior year, the Storm went 13-8-1 and advanced to the IIAC Tournament semifinals. A two-year all-conference performer, Reinert also worked for four years in the Simpson Athletics Communication Department, interned for the Des Moines Menace, coached high school soccer at Hoover High School in Des Moines and was active in SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), serving as president during his senior year.

Bio Blast

Name - Jeremy Reinert
Sport - Soccer
Position - Midfielder
Major/Minor - Sports Administration/Exercise Science
Athletic Honors - Second Team All-Conference (2011), Honorable Mention All-Conference (2012)
Off the Field - SAAC President (2012-13), Champs Life Skills Mentor, Des Moines Menace Intern, Hoover High School Assistant Soccer Coach
After Graduation - Plans to coach soccer and attend graduate school

Why Division III and why Simpson?

I chose Division III so that I would have the opportunity to impact a program. Experiencing the worst of the soccer program (sophomore year, being the only team that didn't make the conference tourney in program history) and the best since 2001 in my senior season, I think I accomplished that. 

What opportunities have you had as a Division III student-athlete that have made your experience special?

I have had the opportunity to hold two internships in Des Moines, with the Des Moines Menace Soccer Club and Nutri-Sport Full Potential Training; I have worked for the athletics department, become the SAAC president, served as a Champs Lifeskills mentor, become a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, and coached high school soccer. 

What was your favorite part about being a Division III student-athlete?

My favorite memory as a Division III athlete is proving my junior year that hard work beats talent by finishing third in the conference when pre-season-picked to finish 7th.

What does being a Division III student-athlete mean to you?

Being a DIII student-athlete means competing at a high level sport and pushing yourself academically to excel after college. DIII athletes have the opportunity to prioritize their college experience and focus themselves on the activities in which they wish to get the most out of.

Last Word

All of my experiences at Simpson define what I believe is the Division III experience: opportunity. Whether I was scoring the winning goal over the University of Dubuque as time expired during the second overtime or I was interviewing a former European Premier League player who played across from Pele, my time at Simpson left me with the opportunity to experience success.