FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Complete Regional Top 10 Rankings
May 19, 2010-- The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its seventh installment of the Regional Team Index Top 10 Rankings on Wednesday with the North Central College women's track & field squad remaining second in the Midwest Region for the second consecutive week.
The Cardinals amassed 342.22 points in this week's rankings, surpassed only by top-ranked and College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rival Illinois Wesleyan University's 476.06 points. The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is third with 335.50 points while the University of Chicago moves up one spot to fourth with 291.22 points. Washington University in Saint Louis rounds out the top five with 285.28 points. Carthage College is the third CCIW squad to crack the Top 10, jumping up seven spots to 10th with 151.53 points.
The Regional Team Index uses data provided by Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for only the 2010 outdoor season and is a reflection of a team's all-around strength. The regional team index is scored using the current national-team ranking formula as if there were eight separate regional championships across the country.
North Central tallied four national qualifying performances at last week's Dr. Keeler Invitational held at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. On Thursday,
Rachel Secrest hit the automatic qualifying mark in the pole vault with a clearance of 12 feet 8 inches while
Amanda Laesch shaved over 11 seconds of her previous season best effort in the 5,000-meters, clocking a provisional qualifying time of 17:22.53. Friday saw
Brandye Jackson clock a provisional qualifying time of 14.70 in the 100-meter hurdles while
Michelle Criscione cleared a provisional height of 5' 5" in the high jump.
North Central hosts the Gregory Invitational on Thursday and Friday as athletes will have one final opportunity to improve their marks before next weekend's NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships. Action inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium is slated to get underway at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday before resuming at 3 p.m. on Friday.
