FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
  
Nov. 15, 2010 - North Central College linebacker Joey Michals and defensive back Shane Dierking have been named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Football Players of the Week on Defense and Special Teams, respectively, for the week of Nov. 13.

Michals received the first Player of the Week nod of his career for his role in the Cardinals' 61-7 victory over North Park University in the final game of the 2010 regular season on Saturday. Michals finished with a career-high 13 tackles as North Central limited the Vikings to 181 yards of total offense.

Dierking, meanwhile, also received the first Player of the Week accolades of his young career after piling up 130 return yards against the Vikings. He returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to give the Cardinals a short field for the first possession, then returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown shortly before halftime. The return was the second-longest runback of a punt in school history.

Michals' selection gives North Central four Defensive Player of the Week awards this season, as linebacker Matt Wenger has received the honor three times.

North Central also now has four Special Teams Player of the Week honorees this year. Returner Joe Antonacci was picked on Oct. 23, kicker Nick Dace received the distinction on Oct. 2 and punter Shaun Wild did the same on Sept. 25. Wide receiver Steve Hlavac was named the CCIW's Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 18.

North Central opens the 2010 NCAA Division III Football Championships on Saturday, hosting St. Norbert College (Wis.) in a first-round game at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. Naperville Community Television, Channel 17, will provide a live video broadcast than can also be accessed at www.nctv17.com, North Central's campus radio station, 89.1-FM WONC, will carry a live audio broadcast, and live in-game statistics can be accessed at northcentralcardinals.com.