cciw student-athletes complete season at NCAA division iii outdoor championships

MARIETTA, Ohio -- The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) had 17 student-athletes named all-American during the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held May 21-23 at Marietta College.

North Central's Rachel Secrest (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) won the national title in the pole vault with a height of 13-2 1/4.

As a team, the Illinois Wesleyan women had the CCIW's highest placing, finishing seventh during the three-day event.

The Titans' Amanda LaRocca (Palatine, Ill./H.S.) (24.99) and Shavantay Thomas (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) (25.02) were sixth and seventh respectively in the 200-meter dash. LaRocca also placed third in the 100-meter dash (12.13).

Illinois Wesleyan's Lauren Alpert (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) placed fifth in the long jump (15-5 3/4) while teammate Chinny Ekulugo (Saginaw, Texas/W.E. Boswell) was eigth in the triple jump (38-10 1/4). The 4x400-meter relay team of Ali McCoy (Irving, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas), Alpert, Jessica Christy (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) and Mackenzie Clemens (Bloomington, Ill./H.S.) placed second with a time of 3:47.01.

Wheaton's Brandi McNeil (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian) took second in the javelin (151-2) while Augustana's Marissa Banks (Ames, Iowa/H.S.) was third in the discus (151-0). North Central's Brandye Jackson (Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook) placed sixth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.48)

On the men's side, North Central's Kyle Brady (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) (31:03.91) and Mike Spain (Schaumburg, Ill./H.S.) (31:05.73) were fifth and sixth respectively in the 10,000-meter run. Brady also finished sixth in the 5,000-meter run (14:50.20) while Spain was ninth (14:58.81).

Carthage's Jon Kochmit (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) was ninth in the hammer (172-2) while Wheaton's David Larson (Austin, Minn./H.S.) was sixth in the pole vault (15-11 1/4). Phil Christensen (Maple Park, Ill./Kaneland) of Augustana placed sixth in the discus (162-5) while teammate Andy Kubiak (Bloomington, Ill./H.S.) was fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:05.36).

A full list of results can be found by visiting The Raceberry Jam website.