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Results

Team Scores

WHEATON, Ill. (Apr. 13, 2011)-- Winning over half the events contested the North Central College men's track & field squad cruised to the team title at the Wheaton College Twilight Invitational on Wednesday at McCully Stadium, racking up 13 event winners and recording seven provisional qualifying performances.

The Cardinals team score tripled the next closest competitors score, racking up 295 points with the host Thunder finishing runner-up with 98 points. Illinois Wesleyan University was third at the five-team meet with 80 points.

Michael Spain claimed a pair of events, winning the 1,500-meter run in 3:55.12 while capturing the 5,000-meters in a provisional qualifying effort of 14:34.79. Daniel Kerley was third in the 5,000-meters, finishing in a provisional qualifying time of 14:38.72. Matthew Perez captured the 3,000-meter run, stopping the clock in 8:50.23.

The Cardinals displayed their strength in the sprint events winning the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes while also claiming both hurdle events and both relays. Randal Ellison sprinted to the victory in the 100-meters, clocking an 11.24 while Daniel Benton hit the provisional standard in the 200-meters, winning the race in 21.76 with Robert Sweatman placing runner-up in 22.38.

North Central secured the top three spots in the 400-meter dash with Jon Howard winning the event in 48.78. Jonathan Caron was second in 49.70 while Dionte Hackler was third (49.83). Howard additionally won the 400-meter hurdles, finishing the one lap race in 55.77 with Joseph Michals placing second in 56.01. Nick Galanes and Michael Varela placed 1-2 in the 110-meter hurdles, Galanes won the race in 15.99 while Varela clocked a 16.01.

In the relays, North Central's team of Ellison, Caron, Sweatman and Michael Reasner claimed the 4x100-meter relay in 42.84 while the 4x400-meter relay squad of Caron, Howard, Ellison and Benton closed out the meet with a victory, clocking a provisional qualifying time of 3:14.49, a time that is currently the second fastest in NCAA Division III this season.

Three Cardinals hit the provisional standard in the pole vault with John Wood claiming the event after clearing 16 feet, 1 3/4 inches. Josh Winder was second, also clearing 16' 1 3/4" but losing on a tie-breaker due to more missed attempts. Thomas Stacey was the third, hitting the provisional mark after vaulting 15' 7 3/4".

Robert Kapustka earned a pair of victories in the throwing events, winning the shot put with a throw of 48' 11" while also claiming the hammer throw with a heave of 172' 3". Kapustka additionally finished third in the discus (139' 7"). Richard Kingery prevailed in the discus throw with a winning toss of 141' 11" while placing second in both the shot put (46' 6 3/4") and javelin throw (166' 10").

Jonathan Bitner won the triple jump with a leap of 43' 9" while Zachariah Heerspink was second in the high jump after clearing 6' 5". Mason Casper placed third in both events, jumping 37' 11 1/4" in the triple while clearing 5' 7 1/4" in the high jump.

The Twilight Meet was originally scheduled for Saturday but was bumped up to Wednesday due to the threat of inclement weather. North Central returns to action on Friday, April 22, traveling to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational.