FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Notre Dame Invitational Results
Carthage Invitational Results

Oct. 2, 2009 - The North Central College men's cross country returned from a two-week break from competition in two locations on Friday, claiming a first-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind., and a second-place showing at the Carthage College Invitational in Kenosha, Wis.

The top-ranked Cardinals emerged victorious in the Gold Division at Notre Dame for the second consecutive season, placing three runners in the top seven individual finishers and scoring 46 points. Grand Valley State University, ranked No. 3 in the most recent NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, placed second with a score of 52, while NCAA Division I representative Eastern Michigan University, 11th in this week's Division I Great Lakes Region rankings, was third with 93.

DePaul University's Matt Graham was the Gold Division's individual champion, clocking a time of 24:34 on the 8,000-meter (five-mile) course. Nathaniel Hird led North Central across the finish line for the first time this season, placing fourth in 24:49. Kyle Brady and Michael Spain finished sixth and seventh, touring the course in identical times of 25:08, while Christopher Kane finished 13th in 25:19. Alexander Knobloch completed the Cardinals' scoring with a 16th-place finish in 25:24.

The rest of North Central's squad traveled to Carthage, totaling 42 points to finish second behind Wheaton College, which compiled 24 points. The Cardinals finished well clear of third-place finisher St. Norbert College's 111-point effort.

Jacob Austin collected individual first-place honors for North Central, finishing in 26:13 for a four-second winning margin over Wheaton's Brian Wurtz. Emilio Saraga and Michael Matuszak also finished in the top 10, as Saraga finished eighth in 26:49 and Matuszak placed 10th in 27:09.

Richard McNichols posted a 13th-place finish in 27:20 and Israel Cornelio crossed the line one second later in 15th.

North Central will send a squad to the Benedictine University Eagle Invitational on Friday.