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

Official CCIW Release

May 3, 2011-- North Central College's Zachariah Heerspink and the 4x400-meter relay team have been named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Men's Track & Field Athletes of the Week on Tuesday.

The 4x400-meter relay squad of Jon Caron, Randal Ellison, Jon Howard and Dan Benton earned Track Athlete of the Week honors after hitting the automatic qualifying standard in the event and establishing a new school record at the Drake Relays over the weekend.

The quartet placed second in their heat in the preliminaries on Friday inside Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, clocking an automatic qualifying time of 3:12.53 before placing fourth in the finals on Saturday in an automatic qualifying and school record time of 3:10.66. The relay's time is currently the fastest time in NCAA Division III this season by over three seconds.

Heerspink captures Field Athlete of the Week accolades after winning the high jump at the Benedictine University Twilight Invitational on Friday, clearing a provisional qualifying height of 6 feet, 9 inches. His jump is currently the ninth best mark in NCAA Division III and is the best mark this season in the conference. Heerspink additionally placed second in the long jump with a leap of 21' 11".

The Cardinals return to action on Friday for day one of the CCIW Outdoor Championships at the Paul V. Olsen Track in Rock Island, Ill.