Drake University Athletics

2025: Named an All-Pioneer Football League First Team performer...included on PFL Academic Honor Roll…kicked in all 12 games for the Bulldogs…named PFL Special Team Player FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week…scored 80 total points on 35 PATs and 15 field goals…was 15-for-18 on FGs with long of 55 yards at the buzzer to beat San Diego on the road…kicked off twice for 106 yards…made one tackle…made multiple field goals in the same game five times.

Prior to Drake: Transferred to Drake from NAIA level at Benedictine College…finished Benedictine career as second highest career scorer, and first among kickers, in Ravens history…named three-time All-Heart of America South Conference and earned VSN First Team All-American status… led all NAIA kickers in points scored throughout 2024 season…earned Benedictine College Special Teams Player of the Year…collected three Heart of America Special Teams Player of the Week honors…member of three Heart of America South Conference championship winning teams…teams also reaching NAIA Quarterfinals twice and NAIA Semifinals once…four-year varsity letter winner in football and three-year varsity letter winner in soccer at Cathedral Catholic High School…won Kevin Madden Award in 2021, given to the outstanding senior athlete who participated and excelled in two or more sports during their entire career at Cathedral Catholic as well as demonstrate positive role model characteristics…won 2018 CIF Football Open Division Championship and 2021 CIF Soccer Open Division Championship.

Personal: Born September 2002…son of Rick and Sina Balke…pursuing a master’s in business administration.