FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Day One Results
Day Two Results
Decathlon Results
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (May 7, 2011) - The North Central College men's track and field team traveled to Augustana College for the 2011 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Outdoor Championships on Friday with the memory of the previous season's two-point loss to the Vikings still fresh in their minds.
At the end of the day Saturday, the Cardinals had done more than enough to exact their revenge, as North Central won five events, set two meet records and defeated this year's hosts by 41 points to bring home the CCIW outdoor title for the 33rd time.
Second-ranked North Central totaled 284 points to No. 18-ranked Augustana's 243. Carthage College was a distant third with 101.
The first of North Central's two meet records came on Friday in the pole vault, as Josh Winder cleared 17 feet, 1 1/2 inches to surpass the record of 17'0 3/4", which was set by his older brother, Jake, in 2008. He also recorded an automatic qualifying mark for the national championships, ranking second nationally among NCAA Division III competitors. Winder led a 1-2 finish in the event, as Peter Geraghty placed second with a clearance of 16'1 3/4".
The Cardinals had two other first-place finishes on Friday, both of which came in distance-running events. Neal Klein won the 10,000-meter run in 31 minutes, 6.03 seconds, finishing just in front of teammates Daniel Kerley (31:06.29) and Michael Spain (31:06.60). Yonatan Mascote, meanwhile, established a provisional qualifying mark for nationals in winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:22.01). David Janet followed in second place (9:27.12).
On Saturday, Daniel Benton established a new North Central record in the 400-meter dash, decimating the field and cruising to victory in 47.06 seconds, automatically qualifying for nationals and crushing the previous meet record of 47.66, set by Illinois Wesleyan University's Matt Harden in 2007. Also achieving provisional national qualifying marks were Jon Howard, who placed second (48.11), and Jonathan Caron, who finished fourth (48.45).
Joe Michals became the first Cardinal since 2004 to win the 400-meter hurdles at the CCIW meet, hitting the finish line in 54.50, while Howard placed second (54.83).
North Central got provisional qualifying marks from two other second-place finishers, Robert Kapustka in the discus throw (163'10"), and Joe Schneiderbauer in the decathlon (6,144). Other Cardinals with second-place finishes included Benton in the 200-meter dash (21.85), John Crain in the 1,500-meter run (3:54.98), Mike Varela in the 110-meter hurdles (15.30), Zachariah Heerspink in the high jump (6'8"), Matthew Borchardt in the triple jump (46'3 1/2"), and the 4x100- (42.48) and 4x400-meter relays (3:14.84).
Heerspink also placed third in the long jump (22'3 3/4"), as did Kerley in the 5,000-meter run (15:05.18).
North Central is set to host the Dr. Keeler Invitational at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on Thursday and Friday. Events are scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday and 3 p.m. on Friday.
