Matisen Ingle
Feature | Former Saluki thrower taking the opportunity of a lifetime
07/03/2024 | 1:00:00 | Track and Field
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Saluki alum Matisen Ingle obtained an internship with the NCAA in the summer of 2024, an opportunity former collegiate athletes use to get vital real-world experience.
As a member of the Southern Illinois Track and Field team, Ingle racked up three bronze medals at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. She placed third in the 2022 and 2023 Indoor championships in the weight throw, and in the discus throw at the outdoor championships as well.
In the classroom, she earned a 3.8 GPA and was named to the Dean's List in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She also earned the MVC Commissioner's Excellence Award three times (2019, 2020 and 2021) was named the Sport Administration Student of the Year in 2022 and is a two-time Academic All-American (2022 and 2023).Â
Knowing that the end of her athletic career was just around the corner, Ingle made a point to get as much work experience as possible as a student. She was a vital part of the intercollegiate athletics academic offices at SIU, advising athletes after she finished competing. This summer, Ingle received a huge opportunity to bolster her resume with the NCAA.
The NCAA's internship program has been one of the most prestigious opportunities for post-graduate collegiate athletes for the past 25 years. Many who go through the program achieve high rankings either within the NCAA or within colleges and universities across the United States.
The institution's headquarters are located in Indianapolis, Ind., a city that is a hub for many major sports institutions such as universities, conference offices, the USA Track and Field headquarters, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Lucas Oil Stadium.
A graduate of North Central High School in Indianapolis, Ingle is familiar with what the city has to offer.Â
Ingle first heard of the NCAA's summer internship program through staff at SIU and her aunt, who currently works in the NCAA's eligibility center. The odds of being selected are very slim. Nearly 1,000 applicants apply yearly, and only 34 were selected for the summer of 2024.Â
Knowing the odds were not in anyone's favor, the December 2023 phone call from the NCAA was that much sweeter for Ingle.
"I cried on the phone," she said. "It's a very prestigious program that they put on to be a post-grad intern."
Alexis Dodd, an Academic Adviser for Intercollegiate Athletics at SIU, was a guiding light for Ingle as she tried to figure out her career passions. Ingle has worked with Dodd's department as a tutor and mentor for underclassmen athletes, and Dodd's excitement began even before Ingle was offered the internship.
"When Matisen first told me she was interested in the internship I was very excited for her to just apply," Dodd said. "When she told me she was offered the internship I was elated for her, I honestly couldn't put into words texting her how excited I was for her, congratulations just wasn't enough."
After two interviews, Ingle was assigned to the academic and membership affairs department, where she experiences the processing of waivers and gets to sit in on full-time staff meetings at the legislative level.
So far, networking has been the biggest emphasis of the program. In April, the interns were all brought to Indianapolis to look at housing options, and Ingle believes that week had a big part in familiarizing herself with peers.Â
"We started familiarizing ourselves with each other back in April, so when we came in June we already knew each other, we were all comfortable with each other for the most part," she said.
A trip to Chicago has been the most beneficial experience so far, Ingle says. There, the interns visited the Riddell and Wilson's headquarters, the Big Ten Conference offices, Northwestern University, and even got to take in a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. The day at Northwestern University allowed the interns to network with those in intercollegiate athletics.
"We talked to different people in their athletic department about their jobs and their story, it was really nice to be able to do that."
Back in Indianapolis, Ingle has been thrown into the midst of the intercollegiate athletics world, where she is already making a difference.
"I'll be interpreting waivers and questions from universities or conference offices, and approving or denying waivers for our academic by-law 14," she explained. "You don't get to really do that at the institutional level because you're the one submitting the waiver to be interpreted. It's a really cool perspective, and the work that our department does is very impactful I would say. It's a big piece of eligibility."
While it may seem overwhelming to have such power, Dodd knows Ingle is up for the challenge.Â
"Matisen is a go-getter so any opportunity to learn something, she is after it," Dodd said. "She has been able to see athletics from different perspectives which has really prepared her for her internship."
Ingle knows opportunities like this do not come around very often, so she is taking in every bit of information she can get on how to better herself as a professional.
"I've already learned that you have to be open-minded because athletics is such a large industry that you don't want to be too narrow-focused," Ingle said. It's good to know what you want to do, but it's also okay to not know what job opportunity you want to seek next."
As someone already in the industry, Dodd has tips for those who may want to follow in Matisen's footsteps.
"Don't be afraid to ask questions and sit back in learn. I would also tell them everyone's paths look different so don't get discouraged, there are so many departments within athletics, don't be afraid to try different areas. You might find you have many interests."
Â
As a member of the Southern Illinois Track and Field team, Ingle racked up three bronze medals at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. She placed third in the 2022 and 2023 Indoor championships in the weight throw, and in the discus throw at the outdoor championships as well.
In the classroom, she earned a 3.8 GPA and was named to the Dean's List in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She also earned the MVC Commissioner's Excellence Award three times (2019, 2020 and 2021) was named the Sport Administration Student of the Year in 2022 and is a two-time Academic All-American (2022 and 2023).Â
Knowing that the end of her athletic career was just around the corner, Ingle made a point to get as much work experience as possible as a student. She was a vital part of the intercollegiate athletics academic offices at SIU, advising athletes after she finished competing. This summer, Ingle received a huge opportunity to bolster her resume with the NCAA.
The NCAA's internship program has been one of the most prestigious opportunities for post-graduate collegiate athletes for the past 25 years. Many who go through the program achieve high rankings either within the NCAA or within colleges and universities across the United States.
The institution's headquarters are located in Indianapolis, Ind., a city that is a hub for many major sports institutions such as universities, conference offices, the USA Track and Field headquarters, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Lucas Oil Stadium.
A graduate of North Central High School in Indianapolis, Ingle is familiar with what the city has to offer.Â
Ingle first heard of the NCAA's summer internship program through staff at SIU and her aunt, who currently works in the NCAA's eligibility center. The odds of being selected are very slim. Nearly 1,000 applicants apply yearly, and only 34 were selected for the summer of 2024.Â
Knowing the odds were not in anyone's favor, the December 2023 phone call from the NCAA was that much sweeter for Ingle.
"I cried on the phone," she said. "It's a very prestigious program that they put on to be a post-grad intern."
Alexis Dodd, an Academic Adviser for Intercollegiate Athletics at SIU, was a guiding light for Ingle as she tried to figure out her career passions. Ingle has worked with Dodd's department as a tutor and mentor for underclassmen athletes, and Dodd's excitement began even before Ingle was offered the internship.
"When Matisen first told me she was interested in the internship I was very excited for her to just apply," Dodd said. "When she told me she was offered the internship I was elated for her, I honestly couldn't put into words texting her how excited I was for her, congratulations just wasn't enough."
After two interviews, Ingle was assigned to the academic and membership affairs department, where she experiences the processing of waivers and gets to sit in on full-time staff meetings at the legislative level.
So far, networking has been the biggest emphasis of the program. In April, the interns were all brought to Indianapolis to look at housing options, and Ingle believes that week had a big part in familiarizing herself with peers.Â
"We started familiarizing ourselves with each other back in April, so when we came in June we already knew each other, we were all comfortable with each other for the most part," she said.
A trip to Chicago has been the most beneficial experience so far, Ingle says. There, the interns visited the Riddell and Wilson's headquarters, the Big Ten Conference offices, Northwestern University, and even got to take in a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. The day at Northwestern University allowed the interns to network with those in intercollegiate athletics.
"We talked to different people in their athletic department about their jobs and their story, it was really nice to be able to do that."
Back in Indianapolis, Ingle has been thrown into the midst of the intercollegiate athletics world, where she is already making a difference.
"I'll be interpreting waivers and questions from universities or conference offices, and approving or denying waivers for our academic by-law 14," she explained. "You don't get to really do that at the institutional level because you're the one submitting the waiver to be interpreted. It's a really cool perspective, and the work that our department does is very impactful I would say. It's a big piece of eligibility."
While it may seem overwhelming to have such power, Dodd knows Ingle is up for the challenge.Â
"Matisen is a go-getter so any opportunity to learn something, she is after it," Dodd said. "She has been able to see athletics from different perspectives which has really prepared her for her internship."
Ingle knows opportunities like this do not come around very often, so she is taking in every bit of information she can get on how to better herself as a professional.
"I've already learned that you have to be open-minded because athletics is such a large industry that you don't want to be too narrow-focused," Ingle said. It's good to know what you want to do, but it's also okay to not know what job opportunity you want to seek next."
As someone already in the industry, Dodd has tips for those who may want to follow in Matisen's footsteps.
"Don't be afraid to ask questions and sit back in learn. I would also tell them everyone's paths look different so don't get discouraged, there are so many departments within athletics, don't be afraid to try different areas. You might find you have many interests."
Â
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