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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Jeremy Rushing, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Nov. 4, 2013 - Some athletes compete in a sport for a dozen or so years after finding that they excel at a young age.  Others stumble upon it further down the road and realize they can compete at a high level. North Central College women's cross country runner Nora Ferguson is the latter.
 
"I started running when I was a freshman in high school," she explains.  "I was originally just going to play soccer, but I decided to run cross country to get in shape for soccer that spring."
 
Starting a sport as late as high school might make it difficult to excel in that sport.  But with a running background from years of soccer and a lot of natural talent, Nora's high school coach knew she could be something special.
 
"My high school coach, Jon Macnider, who's an alum from North Central, was the one who got me into the sport," she says.  "He saw the potential that I had and got me into a competitive mindset."
 
The Schaumburg native credits Macnider, a 1976 North Central graduate, for her success in high school and her ability to run at the college level.  At North Central, she's an Academic All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) recipient.  Ferguson claims organization is a key component of balancing athletics and academics.
 
"You need to prepare yourself for the upcoming week, write everything down, and get ahead so you're not up late doing homework because that has a domino effect into your season as well," she says.  "You just have to stay on top of your homework and make it a priority."
 
Ferguson is all business both in and outside of cross country.  As a marketing and entrepreneurship double major, she experiences a wide range of business approaches and takes a variety of different business classes.
 
"Entrepreneurship is all about taking initiative for things," she points out.  "With marketing, it's the creative aspect of business, which I really enjoy."
 
Athletically, Nora had two top-five finishes her junior year, including a second-place finish at the NCC Open.  She capped off her junior year by earning Second Team All-CCIW honors by finishing 18th at the CCIW Championships.  She earned Academic-All CCIW accolades as well.
 
In her first five races this season, Nora already has three top-5 finishes, including a second-place finish at the Benedictine University Invitational on Oct. 11.  She led North Central to a second-place finish at last weekend's CCIW Championships, placing seventh overall to earn First Team All-CCIW accolades.
 
Although cross country is a team sport, many runners gravitate toward the competition within that keeps them hungry to improve. Ferguson is one of many in the sport who define success by self-improvement.

"It's great to see where you were two years ago or even last week and to see how much you've improved since then," she says.
 
Though Ferguson gives a lot of credit to her high school coach, she definitely doesn't overlook how much of an impact North Central head coach Mahesh Narayanan has had in every aspect of her life.
 
"He works with you on what you need, and it's not just about times and places," explains Ferguson.  "He wants you to do well in everything you participate in here at North Central."
 
When Nora looks back on her life and cross country career, she has no trouble finding her biggest role models.
 
"Coach Macnider is the reason why I'm here today," she says. "I'm still in contact with him and he comes to all my races.  My family has always supported me and come to my races as well.  They've been there for all the ups and downs."
 
North Central travels to Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Ill., on Saturday, Nov. 16 for the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships.