north central wins cciw men's & women's cross country championships on saturday

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The North Central men's and women's cross country teams won the 2009 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship on Saturday at Eldridge Park in Elmhurst, Illinois.

For the Cardinal men, the win was their 36th in a row dating back to 1974, and their 43rd CCIW title in school history. The Cardinal women won their sixth CCIW title in school history, and first since 2006.

North Central won on the women’s side with a score of 48, finishing one point ahead of defending champion Wheaton, who took second place with 49 points. Illinois Wesleyan (69), Elmhurst (84), Carthage (122), Augustana (138), North Park (238) and Millikin (239) rounded out the women’s team scores.

On the men’s side, North Central picked up a perfect score of 15 as the Cardinals took the top seven places individually. Augustana (54), Wheaton (91), Illinois Wesleyan (116), Carthage (153), Elmhurst (161), North Park (198) and Millikin (246) rounded out the team scoring.

Illinois Wesleyan’s Kerry Devitt and North Central’s Sean Carlson won the CCIW Male and Female Athletes of the Year respectively. North Central’s Lauren Hooks was the CCIW Female Freshman of the Year while Augustana’s Jonathan Smith was the CCIW Male Freshman of the Year. North Central took home CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year honors on both the men’s and women’s side.  

Devitt won the women’s race with a time of 23:15.3 while Jennifer Parisi of Wheaton was second (23:51.5). Elmhurst’s Katlyn Bednarski (24:01.6), North Central’s Lauren Hooks (24:02.4) and Illinois Wesleyan’s Liz Ave Maria (24:04.4) placed third, fourth and fifth respectively, followed by North Central’s Amanda Laesch (24:07.8) in sixth, and Wheaton’s Sara Greeley (24:10.8) in seventh. Wheaton’s Sarah Beasley (24:14.3), Carthage’s Morgan Wiechmann (24:22.8) and North Central’s Alicia Zimmerman (24:28.6) rounded out the top 10.

North Central’s Kate Lueders (24:33.8), Carthage’s Karen Jackson (24:38.6), Illinois Wesleyan’s Katelyn Draths (24:40.6), Wheaton’s Jennifer Bowles (24:41.6), and Augustana’s Theresa Coverick (24:45.1) placed 11-15 respectively and earned all-CCIW distinction.

On the men’s side, Carlson (26:33.8) won the race, followed by teammates Michael Spain (26.34.0), Kyle Brady (26.34.1), Neal Klein (26.34.3), Nathan Rutz (26:34.6), Ryan Carrigan (26:59.0) and Alex Knobloch (27:01.6).  North Central’s Chris Kane (27:09.5) and Nate Hird (27:12.3) took eighth and ninth respectively, but did not earn all-CCIW honors since only the top seven runners from each team were eligible.

Augustana’s Chris Zook (27:20.6) and Jonathan Smith (27:26.0), Illinois Wesleyan’s Wally Farris (27:29.9), Augustana’s Matt Bowman (27:34.4) and Dan Bailey (27:36.6), Wheaton’s Collin Christensen (27:40.6), Augustana’s Billy Tenbusch (27:49.1) and Brad Keating (27:50.7) rounded out places 10-17 and earned all-CCIW distinction.