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

CCIW Press Release

Oct. 4, 2016 - North Central College men's cross country runner Zach Plank continues his stronghold on the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Athlete of the Week award this season, earning his third such honor of the season this week. The most recent announcement was made by the CCIW on Tuesday. 

Plank was recognized for his most recent distinction after placing first in a 388-man field in the Silver Division at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday, which doubled as this year's NCAA Division III Pre-National race. His finishing time of 24 minutes, 53.60 seconds was 16 seconds ahead of his closest pursuer and led the Cardinals to a sizable victory in the team competition. North Central's total of 26 points easily outdistanced the fifth-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (California), the runner-up, by 82 points.

The Cardinals have now won four of the five CCIW Athlete of the Week Awards that have been bestowed this season, winning each of the four weeks they have competed. Dhruvil Patel received the award on Sept. 20 following a fourth-place finish at the Wheaton College Gil Dodds Invitational.

North Central will send a squad to the Benedictine University Eagle Invitational on Friday before competing in the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh AAE Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 15.