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

USTFCCCA Al Carius Program of the Year Standings

June 1, 2011-- Winning two national titles along with a runner-up finish, the North Central College men's program secured the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Al Carius Program of the Year Award for the second straight season on Wednesday. 

The Al Carius Program of the Year Award, created in 2008, is awarded annually to the most outstanding NCAA Division III men's cross country/track & field program. The award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at the NCAA Division III Championships.

North Central blew away the field in 2010-2011, scoring four points after finishing runner-up at the NCAA Division III cross country national championships in November while capturing both the indoor and outdoor national titles during the track & field season. Washington University in Saint Louis was a distant second with 21 points while the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was third with 25.5 points. Haverford College (Pa.), the 2010 national cross country champions, tied for seventh with 66.5 points after placing 29th at indoor nationals and 33rd at outdoors.

This is the second straight season the Cardinals claim the award after completing the triple crown (national titles in cross country, indoor track & outdoor track) during the 2009-2010 academic year.

In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships.  Scoring is based on the team's finish at each NCAA Division II Championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient. Ties among schools split points for positions taken. During the 2010-2011 academic year, just 16 schools competed in all three championships.

The award is named in honor of longtime North Central College coach Al Carius, who in his 45th year has guided the Cardinals to unparalleled success, winning 22 National Championships (13 cross country, 6 outdoor track, 3 indoor track). Under Carius' watch, North Central has won 37 straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin cross country titles along with 23 straight CCIW Outdoor Track titles from 1985-2007 and 11 straight indoor crowns.

Carius has been named the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coach of the Year six times (1993, 95, 97, 98, 99, 09) and in 2006 was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame.