FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Event-by-Event Results
DELAWARE, Ohio (May 26, 2011) - The North Central College men's track and field team put its best foot forward in its quest to win its second straight NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championship on Thursday, claiming an individual national title on the first day of competition at Ohio Wesleyan University's Selby Stadium.
The Cardinals' Michael Spain was victorious in the 10,000-meter run, adding an outdoor title to the indoor 5,000-meter crown he claimed in March. Spain led a 14-point effort for North Central in the event, as teammate Daniel Kerley crossed the line fifth to also earn All-America honors.
North Central's contingent in the 10,000, which also included Neal Klein, was content to stay in the middle of the pack early. Just past the midway point of the race, Spain surged ahead and took the lead, eventually stringing out the lead pack.
Thomas Breitbach of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire gamely held on and was the only competitor to stay with Spain over the next nine laps as the Cardinal senior attempted to break free.
Breitbach charged ahead and took the lead with two laps to go and made his bid for the win, but Spain fought back on the bell lap and finally worked himself free down the home stretch for the win in 29 minutes, 58.92 seconds.
"I had the toughest duel of my life on my hands," Spain said. "I didn't know at any point that I would win. I kept trying to break (Breitbach) and he wouldn't give up. I took a gamble the last two laps letting go of the lead and relying on my kick. I didn't know I had it won until 50 meters to go."
Kerley worked his way through the pack and finished fifth in 30:34.45 to collect four points for the Cardinals and earn his first All-America certificate, while Klein placed 13th in 31:15.61.
"I felt pretty strong at the end," Kerley said. "I felt smooth and I just kept thinking I needed to finish well. Before the race, Mike (Spain) said not to worry about place until about two miles to go, and then just give it your all. That's what I tried to do."
The Cardinals' 4x400-meter relay team of Jonathan Caron, Randal Ellison, Jon Howard and Daniel Benton posted the top qualifying time in their preliminary heats on Thursday, finishing in 3:12.64. Howard, running the third leg of the relay, received the baton in fourth place and was able to move into the lead, which Benton maintained throughout his circuit around the track.
Also competing on Thursday was Joe Schneiderbauer in the first of two days in the decathlon. At the midway point, Schneiderbauer sits ninth in a field of 19 with 3,349 points. Schneiderbauer was particularly strong in the running events, scoring 762 points with his time of 51.15 in the 400-meter dash and picking up 725 points with a time of 11.63 in the 100.
Schneiderbauer concludes competition in the decathlon on Friday, while the Cardinals will also compete in the pole vault, high jump and 400-meter dash.
