FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

USTFCCCA Team All-Academic

Feb. 17, 2011-- The North Central College women's cross country team was honored by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the sixth straight season on Thursday, earning the Team All-Academic Award for its commitment to academic and athletic excellence.

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team grade point average of 3.10 or better and have compiled a score (finished at least five runners) at their respective NCAA regional championship.

The Cardinals compiled a 3.50 team GPA during the fall, earning Team All-Academic honors for the sixth consecutive season while improving the overall team GPA for the fourth straight year. North Central was one of six College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin squads to be honored, joining Augustana College, Carthage College, Elmhurst College, Illinois Wesleyan University and Wheaton College as in total 167 teams across NCAA Division III were honored.

The Cardinals won their second straight CCIW Championship during the fall of 2010 before placing sixth at the 38-team NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. North Central landed two athletes in the top 30 at the regional, including Amanda Laesch who went on to finish 15th at the NCAA Division III National Championships, becoming the sixth runner in program history to earn All-American accolades.