Finally!  After four consecutive runner-up finishes in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, the North Central College men ran back into the winner's circle Nov. 21 at Saratoga State Park, just north of Schenectady, N.Y.

The Cardinals scored 107 points to win their eighth national title in 20 years of NCAA Division III competition- they have also finished runner-up eight times and third three times.  University of Rochester, the 1991 national champion, was second with 116 points.  State University of New York at Albany finished third with 180 points.

"It wasn't a powerful performance," said North Central coach Al Carius, whose team has been ranked No. 1 all fall by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association, "but it was a great team performance.  Obviously, we needed everybody to get the win, because it was a squeaker."

Senior captain Derron Bishop of Canton, Ill., led the Cardinals, finishing sixth individually over the soft, partially snow-covered, 8,000-meter course in 25:05.2 to become just the third four-time All-American in cross country at North Central.  Junior Dan Mayer of New Holstein, Wis., duplicated his 12th-place finish a year ago to earn his second All-America award in cross country.  His time over the gently rolling course was 25:13.2.

Sophomores Brian Henz and James Dickerson of Peoria, Ill., finished just steps apart, 42nd and 43rd in 25:46.2 and 25:46.6, respectively.  Freshman John Weigel of Metamora, Ill., who got caught up in the pack early in the race, worked his way back to finish 50th individually.  His time was 25:52.0.  Running Nos. 6 and 7 for the 1992 NCAA Division III national champions were senior Rob Harvey of Moline, Ill., and junior Dan Iverson of Macomb, Ill., who finished 60th and 84th in the field of 184 runners in 25:59.7 and 26:18.6, respectively. 

"I'm really proud of these guys," said Carius.  "Basically, it's a very young team.  This team was picked at the beginning of the year to win it all, but what people didn't know was that today we had just two of seven runners who were on the course at this time last year running for us."

All seven runners on North Central's 1991 NCAA Division III national runner-up team were back on campus this fall, but injuries hobbled three of those runners and two others were slow rounding into top condition.  That meant that a veteran Cardinals squad suddenly became a lot younger and a lot less experienced.

"Because of injuries and what not, this became a new team," Carius said.  "From the start of a year when it looked like we had a lot of experience, it actually began to look like a rebuilding year.  But these guys really blossomed and grew throughout the year to get to this point, and they were all a part of this win.  They are the national champions."

Of Bishop, who joined Jeff Milliman (1977-78-79-80) and Bob Dunphey (1981-82-83-84) as a four-time All-American in cross country at North Central, Carius said, "Derron just provides so much more than a physical performance.  He is a great leader and such a stabilizing individual.  Throughout the year, he kept everyone focused on our goal (winning the national title) and on having fun.  We'll miss him next fall, but we're looking forward to a great track season from him."

When North Central begins the 1993 cross country season, it may well be ranked No. 1 again by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association.

After all, five of the Cardinals top seven runners (six if Rob Harvey elects to return for the season he missed in 1991) are expected back next fall.

And then, there is tradition.  In 20 years of NCAA Division III men's cross country competition, the Cardinals have won eight national titles, they have had 31 individual All-Americans (many multiple times), they share the record for the lowest point total in NCAA Division III championship competition (51 points in 1982), and three-time All-American Tony Bleull still holds the individual record for 8,000-meters (24:36 in 1983).  In short, when you talk about NCAA Division III men's cross country, you begin with Al Carius and the guys in red-and-white pinstripe jerseys from North Central College.

- excerpt from North Central NOW, December 1992
information provided by the College Archives