Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, tkgallisath@noctrl.edu

KENOSHA, Wis., RIPON, Wis., WAVERLY, Iowa  (Mar. 3-4, 2023) - The North Central College men's track and field team split its squad across three meets in the Midwest looking to better its marks in a last-ditch effort ahead of next week's NCAA Division III National Championship. 

On Friday, the Cardinals traveled North to Carthage College for the Firebird Final Qualifier. Jamauri Spivery turned in a first-place effort in the 55-meter dash with a 6.42-second run in the preliminary round before clocking a 6.44-second effort in the finals. Riley Hughes placed second in the shot put with his throw of 50 feet, 2.5 inches (15.30 meters) while Tyler Piron clocked a 52.86 in the 400-meter dash to finish third.

Spivery and Hughes then made the trip to Ripon College for the Ripon Final Qualifier on Saturday where Spivery placed third in the 60-meter dash with a 6.88 in the prelims and a 6.89 in the finals, his time ranks 30th nationally. Hughes turned in a fourth-place finish in the shot put with a toss of 47 feet, and nine inches (14.55m). 

The Cardinals distance squad hit the road for the Wartburg College Final Qualifier on Saturday where Connor Riss bettered his 3,000-meter run time to eight minutes, 14.41 seconds as he finished first overall. His conversion time of 8:08.73 for banked-track ranks ninth nationally. Riss later teamed up with Braden Nicholson, AJ Lehman, and Lucas Hoffman for a fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay (9:58.36). Drew Guimond turned in a first-place finish in the 5,000-meter run with a personal best time of 14 minutes, 31.80 seconds. 

This year's indoor championships will be held Friday and Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. 

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