NORTH CENTRAL MAKES IT 30 STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS

With six runners in the top 10, including four in the top five, North Central easily won the 2003 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin men's cross country title. The Cardinals of veteran head coach Al Carius won their 30 th consecutive championship by scoring just 19 points over the 8,000 meter course at Montrose Harbor in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, November 1.

Tim Nelson won the individual title with a time of 25:11, beating teammate Andy Enright (25:21) by 10 seconds. Nelson is the 23 rd North Central runner to win the CCIW title since Doug Nuckols became the first Cardinal to do so back in 1962. Randy Bill of Augustana placed third in 25:26, sandwiched between Nelson and Enright in first and second and Marcin Toporkiewicz and Pat Rizzo of North Central in fourth and fifth. Toporkiewicz ran 25:29 and Rizzo was clocked in 25:36.

Tim Hachmeister of Illinois Wesleyan was sixth, followed by Reggie Jonaitis and Kevin Licht, both of North Central, is seventh and eighth. The Elmhurst duo of Mark Heintz and Justin Stevens rounded out the top 10.

Behind North Central in the team race was Augustana, which scored 61 points to place second and Elmhurst, which had 72 points in third. Carthage (133), Wheaton (137), Illinois Wesleyan (143), Millikin (186) and North Park (245) rounded out the field.