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

Results

NORMAL, Ill. (Sept. 13, 2013) - The No. 1-ranked NCAA Division III men's cross country team in the nation got the better of a field of Division I counterparts Friday, as the North Central College Cardinals used their superior depth to top a six-team field in the inaugural Country Financial Illinois State University Invitational at D.A. Weibring Golf Course.

No. 1-ranked North Central placed five competitors in the top eight finishers in the 73-man field to post a winning total of just 28 points, while the host Redbirds placed second with 42 and Bradley University placed third with 65. Rounding out the field were Eastern Illinois University (97), the University of Northern Iowa (124) and the University of Illinois-Chicago (178).

The Cardinals' John Crain and Illinois State's Ryan Rutherford waged a two-man battle for the individual title, as both were well clear of the rest of the field heading into the homestretch. Rutherford narrowly outleaned Crain for the victory, hitting the finish line of the 8,000-meter (five-mile) course in 24 minutes, 21.96 seconds, while Crain was clocked in 24:22.13.

North Central, however, sealed the team championship by claiming places 5-8. Ben Dickshinski led the charge, placing fifth in 24:45.15, followed by Ryan Root in sixth (24:52.67), Travis Morrison in seventh (24:57.26) and Roger Klein in eighth (24:58.16). 

Tim Hird finished 15th for the Cardinals (25:08.23), while Troy Kelleher was 23rd (25:20.16) and Matt Brinkmeier placed 31st (25:45.26).

North Central will send a squad to St. James Farm in Warrenville to compete in the Wheaton College Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 10:45 a.m.