An eight-time NSIC Champion on the track, Matt Eicheldinger was a consistent contributor over his four seasons with Golden Bear track and field.
The Montrose, Colorado native made his presence known from day one on campus as he scored points in all eight NSIC Championship meets he competed in, never placing below fifth as an individual.
In his freshman season, he grabbed his first three NSIC crowns, helping a star-studded 4x400m relay group to victory in both the indoor and outdoor seasons while also picking up his first individual title in the indoor 400m.
It was more of the same in 2007 as the 4x400m relay team repeated as conference champions in both indoor and outdoor to go along with an indoor 4x100m relay win. That season, he also joined forces with the CSP Hall of Fame trio of Adrian Perryman, BA ‘07, MBA ‘18, Kyle Warren, BA ‘07 and Kawaskii Bacon, BA ‘09 to set a school record in the sprint medley relay that still stands today.
Over his final two seasons on campus, Eicheldinger went back-to-back as NSIC Champion in the indoor 800m to bring his career total to eight.
In addition to his impact on the track, Eicheldinger was also involved in other ways on campus, including serving as a guitarist and singer for one of the weekly student-led worship bands. He was also presented with the "Honoree for Outstanding Accomplishments in the College of Education" award upon graduation.
Since earning his Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and Master’s degree in educational leadership, he spent over a decade teaching sixth grade, primarily reading and writing, in the metro area. In 2023, Eicheldinger went on leave from teaching to pursue his author career after he released his debut middle-grade novel Matt Sprouts and The Curse of The Ten Broken Toes (March, 2024). The book became an instant New York Times Bestseller, and has sent Eicheldinger across the country for speaking engagements and author visits. He is set to release four more books in the next year, including two more in the Matt Sprouts series. Eicheldinger lives in Bloomington with his wife, Briana, and their two daughters.
Career Awards
- Four-time NSIC Champion in the 4x400m Relay (2006 indoor, 2006 outdoor, 2007 indoor, 2007 outdoor)
- Two-time NSIC Champion in the 800m (2008 indoor and 2009 indoor)
- NSIC Champion in the 400m (2006 indoor)
- NSIC Champion in the 4x100m Relay (2007 indoor)
- Five-time All-NSIC in the 800m (2007 indoor, 2008 indoor, 2008 outdoor, 2009 indoor, 2009 outdoor)
- Four-time All-NSIC in the 4x400m Relay (2006 indoor, 2006 outdoor, 2007 indoor, 2007 outdoor)
- All-NSIC in the 400m (2006 indoor)
- All-NSIC in the 4x100m Relay (2007 outdoor)
- Golden Bear Award winner (2007)
CSP Records
- 1st - indoor 500m (1:05.76)
- 1st - sprint medley relay (3:25.01)
- 1st (at time of graduation) - 800m (1:55.48)
Career & Season Stats
- Scored in each NSIC Championship during his career
- Reached the finals and never finished below fifth in any event at the NSIC Championships
- Had a career-best point total in the 2007 NSIC Indoor Championships (1st in 4x400m relay, 2nd in 800m, 3rd in 400m)
- Put up second-best total in the 2008 NSIC Outdoor Championships (1st in 4x400m relay, 1st in 4x100m relay, 4th in 400m)
