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

Results

ELMHURST, Ill. (Oct. 31, 2009) - For the 36th consecutive year, the North Central College men's cross country team has brought home a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Championship trophy, as the Cardinals scored a perfect 15 points to cruise to victory at Eldridge Park.

North Central posted a perfect score at the CCIW meet for the first time since 2004 and the fifth time overall, as nine of the Cardinals' ten competitors crossed the finish line ahead of all other entrants. The first five North Central finishers ran as a pack, with Sean Carlson claiming the individual championship in a time of 26 minutes, 33.8 seconds on the 8,000-meter (five-mile) course.

Michael Spain placed second in a time of 26:34.0, while Kyle Brady (third, 26:34.1), Neal Klein (fourth, 26:34.3) and Nathan Rutz (fifth, 26:34.6) followed in short order. Ryan Carrigan placed sixth (26:59.0) and Alexander Knobloch finished seventh (27:01.6), giving North Central seven All-CCIW honorees, while Christopher Kane (eighth, 27:09.5) and Nathaniel Hird (ninth, 27:12.3) also finished ahead of the rest of the field.

Carlson is the 23rd individual CCIW champion to come from North Central and the first since 2006, when Hird led the Cardinals to victory.

North Central travels to Oshkosh, Wis. on Saturday, Nov. 14, for the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships. The men's competition is scheduled to begin at noon.