1999 Men's Cross Country

1999 NCAA Division III National Champions

For North Central College, winning the NCAA Division III cross country national championship has become an annual event. The Cardinals took the trophy in 1975, ’76, ’78, ’79, ’81, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’93, ’97 and ’98. On Nov. 21, 1999, Al Carius’ troops won their third consecutive title, 12th overall, firmly entrenching the storied program as the most dominant in the 27-year history of Division III cross country. “Every championship has its own place in my heart,” said Carius, who was recognized as “Coach of the Year” and “Coach of the Century” at the meet. “This team improved every week of the season and had its very best performance at nationals.” Also recognized at the meet for his 25 years of coaching service was associate coach Frank Gramarosso. After winning their 26th consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) crown with a perfect 15 points and taking their third regional crown in a row, the Cardinals posted 84 points at the national meet, well ahead of second-place Keene State College’s 100 points. The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (101), Calvin College (164) and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (192) rounded out the top five. Fresh from winning his second consecutive CCIW title and being named Midwest Region cross country “Athlete of the Year,” Colin Young ’00 placed second overall (23:51.9), with Tim McCoskey '01 claiming third place with a time of 23:52.3. In the middle of the Cardinal pack were Charles Califf ’00 and Jeremy Borling ’02. Califf finished 26th (24:25.2) while Borling took 30th (24:27.4). Occupying the fifth spot was Matt Fish ’02, taking 57th place with a time of 24:50.5. Providing excellent sixth- and seventh-team finishes were Greg Targosz '03(71st: 24:59.5) and Bryan Pieper ’00 (123rd: 25:26.8). Young closes out his cross country career by being named All-America for the second time. McCoskey also earned his second All-America honor, and he will use his final year of eligibility next season. Earning their first All-America nods were Califf and Borling. “They were a team in the truest sense of the word,” said Carius. “Every piece of the puzzle fit together beautifully.”   - excerpt from North Central NOW (March , 2000) information provided by the College Archives