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

Results

KENOSHA, Wis. (Feb. 26, 2022) - In a meet that was not decided until the final event, the North Central College women's track and field team emerged victorious to win its third straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Indoor Championship Saturday at Carthage College. 

The Cardinals headed into the 4-by-400-meter relay with a 139-135 advantage over second-place Elmhurst University. North Central's relay quartet of Allison Grady, Hannah Jones, Madzia Myrda and Lindsey Novak clocked a time of four minutes, 9.48 seconds to place second overall while Elmhurst finished fourth. The effort gave the Cardinals a final total of 147 points, just ahead of Elmhurst's score of 140. Carroll University placed third with 88.5 points, followed by Illinois Wesleyan University (74.5), Carthage (58.5), Millikin University (53), Augustana College (48.5), Wheaton College (47) and North Park University (6).

Julia Babinec was voted the CCIW Track Athlete of the Meet for her performance, which included two first-place finishes and one North Central record. Babinec won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.07 seconds with teammate Denise Partee following in second (8.37). Babinec recorded a time of 7.99 seconds in the preliminary heats to establish a new North Central varsity record. She also won the 200-meter dash in a personal-best time of 25.85 seconds which ranks seventh-fastest in program history. 

Marcedes Jackson won the 55-meter dash in 7.28 seconds, taking her place as the fifth-fastest Cardinal ever in the event, while Babinec followed in third place in 7.34. Alexandra Draves' distance of 17.04 meters (55 feet, 11 inches) was good enough for first place in the 20-pound weight throw, while the distance medley relay team of Grady, Myrda, Emmy Mussey and Jenna Fiore won as well. Fiore won a footrace to the finish line with her counterpart from Elmhurst to seal the victory in 12:35.01.

Kathy Myrda wound up second in the pole vault, though her career-best clearance of 3.82 meters (12'6.25") is a personal best by more than six inches, moving Myrda up to fourth on the North Central all-time list and eighth among NCAA Division III competitors this season. Natalie Johnson and Kiarah Horn each cleared 3.42 meters (11'2.50") to finish third and fourth, respectively. Jones placed second in the pentathlon with a total of 2,966 points, and Fiore also turned in a third-place showing in the mile run with a personal-best time of 5:14.54.

Jones was also recognized as one of three CCIW Elite 25 Award winners. The Elite 25 Award is given to the athlete or athletes at the conference championship site with the highest cumulative grade-point average. The CCIW also announced the nine winners of its RESPECT Award for the season. RESPECT Award recipients have distinguished themselves as an integral member of the team, their institution and community by upholding the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Trust. The RESPECT Award recognizes the intangible traits a student-athlete possesses that exemplify great character and encourages inclusiveness and a positive culture. North Central's RESPECT Award honoree is sprinter/hurdler Fiorella Ghiorsi.

North Central now turns its preparations to the NCAA Division III Indoor Championhips, which are scheduled to be held Mar. 11-12 at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

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