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

USTFCCCA Press Release
CCIW Press Release

May 1, 2018 - North Central College men's track and field athletes Dhruvil Patel and Luke Winder have been recognized as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Athletes of the Week for Apr. 23-29, for their efforts in last weekend's Drake Relays. The CCIW announced this week's winners on Tuesday, the same day Patel was also honored as the NCAA Division III National Athlete of the Week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Patel was selected as the CCIW's Track Athlete of the Week after placing third overall (first among collegiate entrants) in the seeded section of the 5,000-meter run at Drake on Thursday. His time of 13 minutes, 58.27 seconds, a 17-second personal best, broke the North Central outdoor record of 14:00.63 set by Dan Mayer '94 in 1994 and makes him the sixth-fastest in NCAA Division III history in the event. The first North Central athlete other than Winder to earn a National Athlete of the Week award outdoors since their institution in 2015, Patel ranks first nationally in the 5,000 and third in the 10,000-meter run (29:52.83).

Winder earned the CCIW's Field Athlete of the Week award on the strength of a second-place finish in the pole vault at Drake, as he cleared 17 feet, 8.50 inches and narrowly missed out on a second straight championship at the meet. The winner of the past three Division III Outdoor National Championships in the pole vault, Winder is the national leader this season with a clearance of 17'10.50" and was named the USTFCCCA's National Athlete of the Week on Apr. 3.

Patel and Winder are both two-time CCIW Athlete of the Week honorees this outdoor season.

North Central will host the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Outdoor Championships on Friday and Saturday. The Cardinals will be seeking their first CCIW outdoor title since 2015 and their 37th overall.