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

USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll

Nov. 15, 2010-- The North Central College men's cross country squad is the nation's No. 1 team for the eighth-straight week in the 10th and final installment of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Poll, released Monday.

The Cardinals remain a unanimous No. 1 after winning Saturday's NCAA Division III Midwest Regional, garnering all eight first place votes and accumulating 280 points. Haverford College (Pa.) climbs three spots to No. 2 after winning the Mideast Regional, receiving 269 points while the State University of New York-Geneseo (266 points) remains the nation's third ranked squad after capturing the Atlantic Regional. Great Lakes Regional champion Calvin College (Mich.) is fourth with 257 points while Saint Lawrence University (N.Y.) rounds out the top five, securing 244 points after finishing runner-up at the Atlantic Regional.

Augustana College is the only other College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin squad to appear in the Top 35, ranking 31st after accumulating 41 points.

All seven varsity runners earned All-Region honors as North Central scored 37 points to secure its third straight Midwest Regional title on Saturday at the Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Ill. Michael Spain led the charge, winning the race for the second consecutive season after finishing the 8,000-meter race in 24:06.4. Neal Klein (24:16.2) and Matt Perez (24:21.1) finished back-to-back in fifth and sixth places while Nathan Warstler (24:26.7) was ninth. Matt Brinkmeier (24:37.1) crossed the tape in 16th while Timothy Hird (24:39.3) and Dan Kerley (24:43.0) placed 18th and 24th, respectively. 

North Central returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 20, traveling to Waverly, Iowa for the NCAA Division III National Championships where the team will look to capture its second straight national title and 14th overall. The men's race is set to begin at 11 a.m. at the Max Cross Country Course on the campus of Wartburg College.