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

Results

Jan. 28, 2011--Earning a clean sweep of the sprinting events the North Central College women's track & field team captured the team title at Friday's NCC Quadrangular held at the Al B. Carius Track. The Cardinals claimed nine of the 15 events contested while two athletes recorded provisional qualifying marks.

North Central, ranked No. 12 by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, tallied 246.5 points to run away with the team title while No. 17 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was a distant second with 147 points. Loras College (Iowa) was third with 96.5 points while Benedictine University rounded out the field, scoring 15 points.

Claiming her second provisional qualifying performance in as many weeks, Sheila Walsh won the 800-meter run, crossing the tape in 2:16.49 while Kala Bingham was third in 2:19.88. Walsh previously hit the provisional standard in the 400-meter dash at last week's Cardinal Opener.

High jumpers Michelle Criscione and Krista Cota produced a 1-2 finish in the event. Criscione cleared a provisional qualifying height of 5 feet 5 1/4 inches while Cota jumped 5' 3 1/4".

Kayla Murphy prevailed in the 55-meter dash, winning the event in 7.40 seconds while Monique DeCap captured the 200-meter dash in 27.81. Murphy also finished third in the pole vault, clearing 10' 8". Lauren Brightmore raced to the victory in the 400-meter dash, finishing the two lap race in 59.96 after placing third in the 55-meters (7.68). Teammate Alicia DeGrado made her debut in the 400-meters, finishing third in 1:03.83.

In the 55-meter hurdles, Melissa Savino and Molly Gstalter collaborated for a 1-2 finish in the event. Savino crossed the tape in 8.58 for the win while Gstalter clocked a 9.01 to finish runner-up. Savino would additionally win the long jump, jumping 16' 5 3/4" with Jocelyn Redlinski placing second with a leap of 16' 3 3/4".

In the distance events, Amanda Marek (10:54.26) and Alicia Zimmerman (11:08.95) were the top finishing collegians in the 3,000-meters while Lauren Hooks (5:30.84) and Kate Lueders (5:44.72) finished 2-3 in the mile.

In the field, Brianna Tolliver (35' 11 1/4") and Basheeba Mays (34' 11 1/4") placed back-to-back in second and third in the triple jump while Carolyn Kalafut (10' 8") was runner-up in the pole vault and Chelsea Armstrong (46' 7 1/2") was third in the weight throw.

North Central closed out the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 4x400-meter relay. The Cardinals' squad of Walsh, Kala Bingham, Cota and Amy Schwent clocked a 4:07.23 while the North Central B squad placed runner-up in 4:15.27.

The Cardinals return to action on Friday, sending a small squad to Bloomington, Ill. for the IWU Pentathlon while the remainder of the team will compete on Saturday at the Warhawk Classic in Whitewater, Wis.