FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Results
WINNECONE, Wis. (Nov. 14, 2009) – The North Central College men's cross country team proved it was the class of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships for the second straight season Saturday, walking away from 38 other teams to a dominant win at Lake Breeze Golf Course.
The Cardinals, who won last year's regional meet by 13 points, left no doubt this time around, scoring just 21 points. North Central's nearest competitor was the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which entered the meet as the second-ranked team in Division III. The Eagles posed no threat to top the podium, totaling 105 points.
The Cardinals had five of the top seven finishers in the meet, led by individual champion Michael Spain, who toured the 8,000-meter (five-mile) course in 24 minutes, 17.9 seconds. Ryan Carrigan followed in 24:23.2, placing second overall.
North Central's Neal Klein crossed the line fifth (24:33.7), preceding sixth-place finisher Kyle Brady (24:35.9) and seventh-placer Nathaniel Hird (24:41.8). Sean Carlson placed 12th overall in 24:50.7 and Nathan Rutz was 17th in 24:54.4.
With the win, the Cardinals automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III National Championships for the 37th consecutive season. North Central will look to win its 13th national title on Saturday at Highland Hills Golf Course in Cleveland, Ohio. The race is scheduled to begin at noon Eastern time.