FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Squig Converse Invitational Results
Illinois Wesleyan Pentathlon Results

Feb. 3, 2011 - The North Central College men's track and field team hung tough against some heavy hitters on Friday at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Squig Converse Invitational on Friday, winning six events and posting four new or improved provisional national qualifying marks against a loaded field of competitors.

In a meet that featured six of the top 16 teams in the most recent NCAA Division III national rankings, the top-ranked Cardinals totaled 126 points to place second only to the second-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which scored 137. No. 9-ranked UW-Whitewater finished third in the eight-team field with 122 points, the No. 5-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was fourth with 99.5, 14th-ranked Augustana College finished fifth with 60.5 and the 16th-ranked University of Chicago came in sixth with 46.

North Central performed exceptionally well in the three relay events, claiming two first-place finishes and a runner-up placing. The 4x400-meter relay team of Jon Howard, Bai Kabba, Jonathan Caron and Daniel Benton collected a victory and a provisional qualifying mark (3:17.97), while the 4x200-meter relay team of Robert Lott, Randal Ellison, Tony Kennedy and Joe Michals finished first (1:31.01) as well. Placing second was the distance medley relay team of John Crain, Scott Foley, Luke Nally and Mitch Gilbert (10:43.59).

Benton was also victorious in the 400-meter dash (49.39), while Howard placed second (49.75) and improved his qualifying mark for the national championships. Yonatan Mascote placed first in the 3,000-meter run (8:49.02) and Neal Klein slashed 21 seconds off his previous provisional qualifying mark to win the 5,000-meter run in 14:31.36.

The Cardinals once again took the top two spots in the pole vault, as Thomas Stacey placed first and Peter Geraghty finished second with identical heights of 16 feet, 4 3/4 inches. Geraghty's mark is an improvement of a previous provisional qualifying mark. 

Robert Kapustka finished second in the 35-pound weight throw (59'3 1/2") and fifth in the shot  put (49'6 1/2"), while Zachariah Heerspink was third in the long jump (22'7 1/2"), Pat Lesiewicz placed third in the 3,000 (8:52.09), and Frank Wleklinski tied for fourth in the pole vault (14'11 1/2").

North Central also sent a group of athletes to the Illinois Wesleyan University Pentathlon. The Cardinals' top finisher was Zachary Weber, who placed seventh with a total of 2,986 points.

North Central hosts the Chicagoland Indoor Championships on Saturday at Al B. Carius Track. Running events and field events will begin at 11:30 a.m.