Contact: Taiah Gallisath-Poklop, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302
 
Oct. 21, 2026 – Following an exceptional performance at the Augustana Interregional Invitational, the North Central College men's cross country team has climbed seven spots in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III national rankings as the Cardinals land the No. 4 spot.
 
Then 11th-ranked North Central finished second at the Augustana Interregional as multiple Cardinals posted personal-best performances, including Daniel Kasperan and BJ Sorg, who both ran under 24 minutes. Kasperan finished runner-up in a time of 23:51.3, and Sorg was third in 23:52.0. North Central totaled 107 points in the meet and had a team average of 24:28.
 
Wartburg College won the Augustana Interregional with 64 points, ensuring the Knights held onto their No. 1 national ranking. Johns Hopkins University moved up one spot to sit second while SUNY Geneseo fell into third. North Central had the largest degree of change in the top-10, climbing seven spots to rank fourth nationally. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse fell to fifth.
 
In the regional rankings, Wartburg held the top spot while the Cardinals moved from fourth to second in the poll. Washington University in St. Louis maintained the No. 3 spot while Central College and the University of Chicago rounded out the top five.
 
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Championships are up next for North Central on Saturday, Oct. 31 at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Ill.