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

CCIW Press Release

Apr. 19, 2016 - The North Central College men's track and field team has swept the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Athlete of the Week Awards for Apr. 11-17, as Tim Vazquez was named the CCIW's Track Athlete of the Week and Luke Winder was picked as the Field Athlete of the Week Tuesday.

The pair were recognized after each put up an outdoor personal-best performance last weekend, with both marks ranking among the nation's best at the NCAA Division III level. Vazquez competed in the 5,000-meter run at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Invitational on Friday, placing third out of 63 compeititors in a personal-best time of 14 minutes, 18.28 seconds. A CCIW champion and All-American in the 5,000 indoors this year, Vazquez currently ranks first in the CCIW and third in the nation outdoors.

Winder, meanwhile, strengthened his grip on the No. 1 spot on the national Division III list in the pole vault, winning the event at the Wheaton College Don Church Twilight Meet with an outdoor lifetime-best mark of 18 feet, one-half inch. He tied the North Central outdoor record held by Jake Winder '10, which also ranks second-best all-time in Division III. Already a three-time individual champion in the vault, Winder's mark this season is nearly a foot higher than his closest Division III counterpart and is the fourth-best collegiate mark this season, regardless of division.

The bulk of the North Central team will take part in the Augustana College Meet of Champions Friday and Saturday, while Winder and teammate Aron Sebhat are set to compete in the University of Illinois Twilight Meet on Saturday.