FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Complete USTFCCCA Release

July 29, 2010-- The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its All-Academic Award winners for the 2010 season on Thursday with five North Central College men's track & field athletes earning a spot on the team. Peter Geraghty, Zachariah Heerspink, Alexander Knobloch, Steven Stack and Josh Winder were all honored for their athletic and academic success.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met either the NCAA Division III Indoor or Outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event. 

In total, 202 student-athletes from 74 schools were honored. Three schools from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin had athletes earn All-Academic honors, with the Cardinals leading the way with five. Illinois Wesleyan University claimed three individuals and Carthage College had two representatives.

Geraghty earns a spot on the team after earning All-America honors in the pole vault during the indoor season, placing eighth at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships. The physical education major cleared a freshman record 16 feet 6 3/4 inches during the indoor season while also hitting the provisional qualifying standard during the outdoor season with a clearance of 16' 1 3/4".

Heerspink lands All-Academic honors after hitting the provisional qualifying mark in the high jump during the indoor season.The freshman cleared the provisional qualifying height of 6' 8 1/4" at the Chicagoland Indoor Championships before going on to win the conference title in the high jump at the CCIW Indoor Championships.

Knobloch makes his second appearance on the All-Academic team after earning the honor in 2009. The senior biology major was a provisional qualifier in the 5,000-meters (14:40.15) during the outdoor season and was one of just six athletes on the All-Academic team to make the squad with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. Knobloch, the 2010 CCIW Man of the Year, was additionally a member of the record setting distance medley relay squad at the CCIW Indoor Championships and was a member of the 4x1,600-meter and distance medley relay team's that competed at the Drake Relays.

Stack earns his first All-Academic honor after hitting the provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The social science major cleared 15'7" during the indoor season before vaulting 16' 3 1/4" during the outdoor season, closing out his career with a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, earning All-America honors.

The third pole vaulter to be honored, Josh Winder earns All-Academic honors after hitting the provisional qualifying mark during the outdoor season. The physical education major cleared 15'5" at the Benedictine Invitational on Apr. 30 in his only meet of the season.

North Central became just the second team in Division III history to sweep the national cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field championships in one academic year in 2010, bringing the College's national championship count to 25.