Complete USTFCCCA Rankings

Sept. 22, 2010-- The North Central College women's cross country team cracked the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III Top 35 Coaches' Poll for the first time this season on Wednesday, sitting 35th in the rankings third installment of the season.

The Cardinals, ranked sixth within the Midwest Region by the USTFCCCA, are one of three new team's entering the Top 35 this week and are the only representative from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire maintains its hold as the top ranked squad, garnering five of the eight first place votes. Middlebury College (Vt.) is second with the remaining three first place votes followed closely by Saint Lawrence University (N.Y.).

North Central finished seventh at last Friday's 31-team Illinois Intercollegiate Championships held at the Weibring Golf Course in Normal, Ill. The Cardinals scored 216 points and were the second highest finishing non-Division I squad at the meet. CCIW Runner of the Week Amanda Laesch paced the Cardinals, finishing the 5,000-meter race sixth overall after crossing the tape in 1801.

The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, Sept. 25, sending a squad up to the University of Minnesota for the Roy Griak Invitational while the rest of the team makes the short trip to Lake Forest College for the Forester Invitational.