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

CCIW Press Release

Feb. 7, 2017 - North Central College men's track and field athlete Zach Hird has been named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Track Athlete of the Week for Jan. 30-Feb. 5. The CCIW announced the most recent Athlete of the Week selections on Tuesday.

Hird received the distinction following his performance in the Olivet Nazarene University Invitational on Saturday. He won the mile run with a personal-best time of four minutes, 12.88 seconds, posting the fastest time in the CCIW this season and currently ranking sixth-fastest among all NCAA Division III competitors in the event. He also moved into seventh place on North Central's all-time indoor list in the mile. Hird also placed third at Olivet Nazarene in the 800-meter run, clocking a personal-best time of 1:57.78.

Hird is the fourth North Central athlete to receive one of the CCIW's weekly awards this season. Distance runner Nolan McKenna has been named the conference's Track Athlete of the Meet twice, while pole vaulter Luke Winder and high jumper Adam Poklop have each been selected as the CCIW's Field Athlete of the Week.

North Central hosts the Chicagoland Indoor Championships Saturday at Al B. Carius Track. Competition is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.