North Central Men and Women Earn CCIW Cross Country Titles

DECATUR, Ill. – The scene was all too familiar at the 2006 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 28 at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, Ill.

When it was all said and done, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams from North Central College had crossed the finish line victorious as the men won their 33rd straight conference championship dating back to 1974, while the women picked up their first team title since 1995 and fourth overall.

The North Central men won the team title in the 8K with an overall score of 34 and a total time of 2:10:02.68. Augustana was second with a score of 64 (2:11:37.32), while Wheaton was third (71 points; 2:11:38.04). Elmhurst (102; 2:13:47.66), Carthage (103; 2:13:57.09), Millikin (159; 2:18:37.83), Illinois Wesleyan (200; 2:24:52.15) and North Park (259; 2:37:05.31) rounded out the team scoring.

In the women’s 6K, North Central won with a team score of 30 and a total time of 1:55:41.52. Last season’s champion Wheaton was second with a score of 50 and a total time of 1:58:29.30, while Carthage was third with a score of 89 and a total time of 2:00:45.59. Augustana (130 points; 2:04:50.58), Elmhurst (130; 2:09:33.63), Illinois Wesleyan (161; 2:07:27.65), North Park (181; 2:11:49.91) and Millikin (226; 2:24:09.08) rounded out the team scoring for the women.

North Central’s Amber Druien won the individual title with a time of 22:27.14, while Elmhurst’s Marisa Mele was second with a time of 22:44.92. Jessica Griffin of North Central was third (22:54.06), while teammate Amanda Laesch was fourth (22:54.67). Hannah Landecker of North Park was fifth with a time of 23:00.86.

For the men, Nathaniel Hird of North Central won the individual title with a time of 25:22.62, while Brandon Mull of Wheaton was second with a time of 25:35.39. Mike Ptack of Elmhurst was third (25:50.25), while North Central’s Nicholas Hird placed fourth (25:54.35). Carthage’s Mike White was fifth with a time of 25:56.84.

Both the North Central men's and women's cross country coaching staffs earned CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year honors, while Druien and Nathaniel Hird took home women's and men's athletes of the year respectively. North Central's Laesch took home freshman of the year honors on the women's side, while William Zook from Augustana College was freshman of the year on the men's side.