GRINNELL, Iowa (Mar. 10, 2012)-- A fast start during day one and two event champions on Saturday set the stage for the North Central College men's track & field team's third consecutive national title at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships at Grinnell College's Bear Recreation & Athletic Center.

The Cardinals emerged with their third consecutive crown after racking up 48 points in the team standings, scoring points in four events. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire secured second billing with 37 points while the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was third with 32 points. The University of Wisconsin-Stout rounded out the podium with 28 points to secure fourth place.

"It's a great team process and even though we have individual events we have great individual groups like the vaulters, the jumpers, the throwers, the sprinters, the distance runners and we bring them together for a common goal, which is a team championship," said head coach Frank Gramarosso.

Dan Benton sprinted to the victory in the 400-meter dash for the Cardinals' second individual crown at the championships, surging past McMurry University's Kevin Cunningham at the line. Benton's winning margin was a slim two-thousandths of a second, clocking a time of 48.01 seconds.

"Seeing all the fans in the stands and knowing people are watching from home, it's cool to see and be a part of something like that," said Benton.

His finish was a bit of redemption after placing runner-up at indoor nationals the previous two years, including the 2011 championships where the senior finished second by four-thousandths of a second despite winning the first of two heats.

"It's cool when you have an ultimate goal of winning a team title, a culmination of everyone's efforts and it brings everyone closer together as a family. Being able to contribute to a family you love and spent so much time with over the past few years, it means so much to me."

Benton's victory along with a fifth place showing by Dionte Hackler turned the tide in favor of the Cardinals, reclaiming the lead after tallying 14 points in the event.

Hackler claimed All-American honors with his finish, clocking a 49.25 to place third in his heat and fifth overall.

Icing on the cake for the Cardinals came in the final event of the afternoon as Benton and Hackler collaborated with Bai Kabba and Mustapha Olaoye to claim the national title in the 4x400-meter relay, establishing a facility record after finishing in 3:16.11, just one-hundredth of a second shy of the school record.

The national title was the Cardinals' second title in the 4x4 in the past three years and for relay member Dan Benton who closes his indoor career as a three-time champion in the event.

Robert Kapustka opened the day on Saturday for the Cardinals, placing 13th in the shot put with a heave of 45 feet, 0 1/4 inch before Zach Heerspink tallied an 11th place showing in the high jump, clearing 6' 6 3/4".

North Central tallied one national champion and six additional All-Americans on day one on Friday, including three of the top four finishers in the pole vault. Josh Winder secured the national title in the vault after clearing 16' 11" while John Wood tied for second with a clearance of 16' 7 1/4". Thomas Stacey was the third Cardinal on the podium, finishing fourth with a vault of 16' 3 1/4".

The Cardinals closed out the day on Friday with Tim Hird, Bai Kabba, Juliano Lodi and John Crain earning All-American honors in the distance medley relay, placing seventh in 10:03.79.

The national title is the Cardinals 10th in track & field, also securing indoor crowns in 1989, 2010, 2011 and 2012 while earning outdoor titles in 1989, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2010 and 2011.

"We have a great coaching staff. We're in a populated area where we get a lot of volunteers and part time coaches and they really instill the winning attitude in each event area," said Gramarosso.

"The attitude started with Al Carius who's been at the College for 46 years and in 1983 he recruited me to North Central to help build the track & field program after he won eight cross country national titles and we worked together to develop a total track program. We won our first track title in 1989 and we've been trying to do the same thing since."