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Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Results

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Nov. 12, 2011)-- Matt Perez raced to the individual title and two more placed among the top ten as the North Central College men's cross country squad blew away the 39-team field on Saturday at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at the Saukie Golf Course, claiming the team title for the fourth consecutive season.

The top ranked Cardinals tallied 42 points in the team standings to win their 24th Midwest Region crown, besting runner-up and third-ranked Washington University in Saint Louis by a 72-point margin. Eighth-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was third with 136 points followed by 12th-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (141). College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rival and fifth-ranked Wheaton College was fifth with a score of 151.

Perez claimed top individual honors, completing the 8,000-meter course in 24 minutes, 41.7 seconds, marking the 11th time in regional history a Cardinal runner has taken home the regional title and third time in as many years.

Seven-tenths of a second separated Kevin Sparks and Matt Brinkmeier as the Cardinal pair finished back to back in sixth and seventh places, respectively. Sparks clocked a 25:10.1 while Brinkmeier toured the course in 25:10.8.

Dan Kerley finished just outside the top 10, clocking a time of 25:17.0, good for 11th place while Neal Klein rounded out the scoring five, finishing 17th in 25:25.0. John Crain was 24th in 25:35.3 with Tim Hird placing 79th in 26:36.5.

North Central turns its focus to Winneconne, Wis. and the Lake Breeze Golf Course, hosts of next Saturday's NCAA Division III National Championships. The men's race is slated to get underway at 12 p.m.