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

Complete USTFCCCA Rankings

Apr. 6, 2011-- The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its initial National Team Computer Rankings for the outdoor season on Wednesday with the North Central College women's track & field squad earning a No. 14 ranking.

The computer rankings are new for the 2011 season. Mathematical formulae based on current national descending-order lists in all events are used to compile a team's ranking. The purpose of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots at the NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Cardinals are the lone College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin squad to appear in the week one Top 25 rankings, tallying 74.14 points. Wartburg College sits atop the rankings with 172.56 points followed by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Calif.) with 156.53. The 2011 Indoor National Champion University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is third with 145.88 points.

North Central dominated the outdoor season opening First Chance Invitational on April 1-2 at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, outdistancing CCIW rival Carthage College by 110-points to win the team title. Cardinal athletes won nine events, including Amanda Laesch who was honored as the CCIW Runner of the Week after winning the 10,000-meters in a school record and automatic qualifying time of 35:41.35 before claiming the 5,000-meters the following day in a provisional qualifying time of 17:33.05.

North Central returns to action on Friday, competing at the Chicagoland Outdoor Championships hosted by the University of Chicago.