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

Jan. 20, 2015 - North Central College men's track and field athletes Richard Ruske and Luke Winder are the first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men's Track & Field Athletes of the Week for the 2015 season. The CCIW announced this week's selections on Tuesday.

Ruske was selected as the conference's top competitor in running events during the past week after his performance in the Mike Lints Alumni Open at Grand Valley State University on Friday. He placed second in the 1,000-meter run in a time of two minutes, 29.81 seconds, establishing a new North Central varsity record in the event. The previous record of 2:31.92 had been held by Ed Reigert '01 since the 2000 season.

Winder, meanwhile, was voted the CCIW's top field-event performer after turning in the current top mark by any NCAA Division III athlete this season in the pole vault. Competing in his first collegiate meet, Winder cleared 16 feet, 8 3/4 inches to place second overall and break the North Central indoor freshman record of 16'6 3/4" which had been held by Peter Geraghty '13 since 2010. Winder's effort ranks him 10th on North Central's all-time list in the event.

No. 5-ranked North Central hosts the Cardinal Opener at Al B. Carius Track on Friday, with competition set to begin at 4:30 p.m.