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

CCIW Press Release

Oct. 6, 2015 - North Central College junior Zach Plank has been recognized as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week for Sep. 28-Oct. 4, earning the distinction for the second time this season. The CCIW announced its Athlete of the Week selections on Tuesday.

Plank received the honor for his performance in Friday's Notre Dame Invitational. He placed first in the Gold Division race, completing the five-mile course in 24 minutes, 30.8 seconds to become the third North Central athlete to win at the high-profile meet since 2010. Competing against a field comprised primarily of NCAA Division I competition, the NCAA Division III No. 1-ranked Cardinals placed second out of 18 teams.

He has received two of the five CCIW Athlete of the Week Awards that have been bestowed thus far this season, also doing so on Sept. 9 following individual and team victories at the Elmhurst College Earlybird Invitational.

North Central is idle until Saturday, Oct. 17, when it travels to compete in the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh AAE Invitational. The race will be contested at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winnecone, Wisconsin, which will also be the site of this year's NCAA Division III National Championship.