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

WAUKESHA, Wis. (May 7, 2023) - Piling up an insurmountable lead with the aid of 11 first-place finishes in 21 events, the North Central College women's track and field team won its fourth straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Outdoor Championship Friday and Saturday at Carroll University's Dennis Punches Track & Field Complex.

The Cardinals scored 184 points to finish well ahead of the field as Elmhurst University and Carthage College placed second (116) and third (115), respectively. North Central claimed three of the conference's major individual awards as Lindsey Novak was honored as the CCIW's Track Athlete of the Meet and Faith Ladin was voted Field Athlete of the Meet. North Central's coaching staff was named the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year.

Novak won four events Saturday, setting a new program record of 24.45 seconds to win the 200-meter dash and turning in a personal-best time of 56.29 to win the 400 and move up to No. 3 in school history.

The Cardinals' team of Novak, Marcedes Jackson, Julia Babinec and Denise Partee stormed away from the field in the 4-by-100-meter relay, clocking a time of 46.85 seconds which prevailed by more than a half-second and ranks ninth-fastest nationally among NCAA Division III teams. Novak and Ladin closed the meet by joining with Kyla Miller and Cali Minkie to win the 4-by-400-meter relay. The Cardinals' time of 3:54.91 makes the quartet ninth-fastest in program history.

Ladin achieved a personal-best total of 4,554 points to win the heptathlon, placing first or second in the field in each of the seven events, while Hannah Jones finished third with a career-best score of 4,035. Jones won the javelin throw Friday with a distance of 38.66 meters (126 feet, 10 inches), while Ladin finished third (36.52m/119'10").

North Central claimed four of the top five places in the pole vault. Gwen Berenyi cleared 3.60m (11'9.75") to win the event, while Natalie Johnson finished second (3.50m (11'5.75") and Ariana Rivera and Alexis Mazzenga placed fourth and fifth, respectively, with identical clearances of 3.20m (10'6").

Alexandra Draves won a CCIW individual title outdoors for the first time Friday, prevailing in the hammer throw with a lifetime-best mark of 54.17m (177'9"), and Bethany Smeed added a third-place showing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:38.05).

Babinec won both hurdle events Saturday, beginning with the 100-meter hurdles, as the Cardinals swept the top two places. Babinec's winning time of 13.89 seconds is a season best, while Partee was nearly level with Babinec at 13.91. Partee's personal best ranks third-fastest at North Central and Babinec and Partee now rank seventh and eighth, respectively, on the Division III national list.

Babinec won the 400-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of 1:04.46, moving up to No. 7 all-time at North Central in the event, while Jackson won a closely-contested 100-meter dash in 12.11 seconds. 

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 Annie Brandt.

North Central has won every CCIW Championship, indoor and outdoor, since 2019, and has now won the outdoor title 13 times since 1992. 

The Cardinals host the Carius/Gregory Invitational Thursday and Friday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium as they seek to solidify qualifying marks for the Division III Outdoor Championships, to be held May 25-27 in Rochester, New York. 
 
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