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

May 19, 2015 - Competing in cross country races and track and field events at a high school with fewer than 300 students started off as an outlet to get involved and make new friends for North Central College junior Megan Costanzo.
           
After moving to Illinois and joining the track and field team in seventh grade at Geneva Middle School, Costanzo began to recognize her true passion for running. Once she enrolled at Somonauk High School, she joined the cross country team as a freshman.
           
"I think I realized right away that there was a great group of kids and very supportive environment," said Costanzo. "I had a coach that taught me how to challenge myself and overcome a lot. But more importantly, my teammates and coaches throughout my freshman year of high school taught me that it is truly rewarding to push yourself to your aerobic limits in order to benefit the team."
           
Being a two-sport athlete at the collegiate level comes with its difficulties to keep up with academics, but Costanzo believes her grades would suffer if she did not have the routine of being in-season.
           
"I really enjoy how disciplined it has made me, it has really helped me stay focused on my goals both academically and athletically," said Costanzo. "It's challenging at times but I cannot imagine it any other way."
           
During the 2014 fall cross country season, Costanzo placed fifth at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships with a time of 22:20.36, and produced team-best finishes of 15th at the Midwest Regional Championship and 81st at the Division III National Championship.
           
After establishing a new North Central outdoor varsity record in the 5,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 17:00.41 at the Hillsdale College (Michigan) Gina Relays on April 24, she was selected as the CCIW Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week. She currently ranks eighth nationally in the 5,000-meter and 14th in the 10,000-meter with a personal-best time of 36:05.13. The team earned a second-place finish at the CCIW Outdoor Championships, where Costanzo placed first in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races.
           
"I believe my teammates and coaches are the main contributors to my success," said Costanzo. "I have learned so many valuable lessons from so many people and would not be successful without my teammates."
           
With the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships in Canton, New York coming up this weekend, Costanzo hopes to contribute points for the Cardinals as she competes in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races to help keep the team in the national top 10, where it has been ranked most of the outdoor season.
           
"Our team has a lot of women representing us in multiple events and I hope together, the whole team can elevate and support each other like I know we can," said Costanzo. "We have a very deep team with a number of people that have come so far, so I am excited to continue training and see where we go past this season as a team."
           
Following graduation in spring 2016, the psychology major hopes to attend graduate school to earn a master's degree in school counseling and become a licensed professional counselor (LPC).
           
"I want to help students find their very own path to success," said Costanzo. "But I also hope to coach cross country and track and field at the high school level."