The North Central College men's track and field team plucked the final jewel of a rare triple crown on May 29, 2010 at Baldwin-Wallace College, as the Cardinals protected a huge early lead and claimed the program's 20th national title at the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships.
The victory made North Central just the second team in Division III history to sweep the national cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field championships in one academic year.
North Central totaled 53 points in the three-day meet to easily outdistance runner-up Salisbury University's total of 36.
"It's been a year of really coming together as a team and finding out what that really means, changing it from a word to a feeling," head coach Al Carius said. "Our guys have continuously regrouped and got back together and continued to go forward. So many times along the way, things happened that could have interrupted that process, but it's a real credit to everyone who has contributed to this effort. It's a tremendous finish for this meet and for the year."
North Central scored 41 points on the first day of the competition, despite competing in just two events. The first of the two events was the pole vault competition, as four Cardinals were among the 15 entrants. All four wound up earning All-America honors and placing in the top six overall.
Jake Winder added an outdoor national championship two his two indoor titles, clearing 16 feet, 11 inches, while Thomas Stacey placed third overall with a jump of 16'7 3/4", Steven Stack was fifth (16'3 1/4") and John Wood placed sixth (15'11 1/4").
North Central also totaled 18 points in the 10,000-meter run on the first day, as Kyle Brady and Michael Spain dominated the field in sweeping first and second place. After biding their time in the middle of the pack for the first half of the race, Brady and Spain surged to the front and pushed the pace the rest of the way. The lead pack eventually was pared down to just three, as Amherst College's (Mass.) Daniel Murner gamely held on, and the two Cardinals blistered the last mile to put the race away.
Brady crossed the line first to claim his second national championship in 30:15.91, while Spain finished second in 30:21.54. After coming through the 5,000-meter point in 15:32, Brady finished the last 5,000 meters in 14:43, covering the final mile in 4:22. Spain toured the second 5,000 meters in 14:49, turning in a 4:27 final mile.
Entering the meet's final day a 24-point advantage, the Cardinals got an All-America effort from Matthew Borchardt in the high jump, as he placed eighth overall with a clearance of 6 feet, 8 inches.
Shortly after Borchardt's performance in the high jump was complete, it became evident that none of the Cardinals' competitors would be able to surpass them, but Brady and Spain still had business to attend to in the 5,000-meter run. Brady was denied in his bid to win a second national title in the weekend, as Williams College senior Connor Kamm emerged late to win one of the fastest Division III championship race in recent years in 14:28.06. Dickinson College senior Nick Karwoski placed second (14:29.45), narrowly edging out Brady (14:29.99), while Spain finished fourth (14:39.55).
Brady was the one Cardinal to have participated in all three of the program's national championship meets during the academic year.
"I can't picture a better way to go out," the senior said. "It's just a magical experience that I couldn't have even imagined."
Carius referred to Brady as one of a host of leaders that have emerged throughout a year to remember.
"Leadership is influence, leadership is certainly more in actions than words," Carius said. "What he has meant all along with his personal growth has been monumental. We've got a lot of seniors in the same situation as him that have provided that leadership that really started four years ago, helping to really turn this program around. These guys will move on, but the path remains for those that are smart enough to follow it."
