FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Complete Regional Rankings

Aug. 24, 2010-- The defending national champion North Central College men's cross country team heads into the 2010 season ranked second within the Midwest Region in the preseason regional rankings released Tuesday by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Washington University in Saint Louis is the top ranked squad in the Midwest Region followed by the Cardinals. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is third while the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is fourth. College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rivals Wheaton College and Augustana College are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.

Placed in order by a representative from each of the eight regions, regional rankings are a reflection of a team's strengths entering the year based on returning and new runners on each squad.

The Cardinals won their 36th consecutive CCIW title in 2009 before winning the College's 13th national title in cross country, establishing a meet record with a 131-point margin of victory as all seven varsity runners achieved All-American status. Three of those runners, Neal Klein, Nathan Rutz and Michael Spain, return for the Cardinals in 2010.

North Central opens up its 2010 season on Sept. 3 at the Elmhurst Invitational with races getting underway at 5:45 p.m.