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

Results

Feb. 18, 2011-- The North Central College women's track & field squad ran away with the team title at Friday's Cardinal Classic on the Al B. Carius Track, winning six events, recording four provisional qualifiers and setting one school record in the team's final tune-up before next weekend's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Indoor Championships.

The ninth-ranked Cardinals tallied 181 points to defend their home turf, outdistancing runner-up Lewis University by 63 points. CCIW-rival Wheaton College was third at the eight-team meet with 77 points while the University of Wisconsin-Platteville was fourth (70 points).

Sheila Walsh lowered her provisional qualifying time in the 400-meter dash, winning the race in a school-record time of 56.86 with teammate Lauren Brightmore finishing third in a provisional qualifying effort of 58.29. Walsh and Brightmore would close out the meet by collaborating with Krista Cota and Kala Bingham to win the 4x400-meter relay in a provisional qualifying time of 3:55.51.

Melissa Savino clocked a provisional qualifying time of 9.15 in the preliminary heats of the 60-meter hurdles before sprinting to a 9.35 in the finals, finishing second overall.

Chelsea Armstrong prevailed in the weight throw, winning the event with a toss of 49 feet 5 inches before placing second in the shot put with a heave of 36' 3". Armstrong's toss in the weight throw is the second best mark in North Central history.

Brianna Tolliver claimed victory in the triple jump with a leap of 36' 3" while also finishing third in the 60-meter dash (8.23). Basheeba Mays was third in the triple jump with a mark of 35' 5".

The Cardinals secured five of the top seven spots in the high jump with Michelle Criscione winning the event with a clearance of 5' 2 1/4". Saddled with more misses at a lower height, Cota placed second in the high jump, also clearing 5' 2 1/4".

Carolyn Kalafut and Kayla Murphy finished 1-2 in the pole vault, both clearing 10' 8".

North Central received second place finishes from Bingham in the 800-meters (2:19.90), Kate Lueders in the 3,000-meters (10:58.53) while getting a third-place showing from Amanda Laesch in the mile (5:04.36).

The Cardinals return to action on Friday, Feb. 25, traveling to Bloomington, Ill. for the CCIW Indoor Championships.