FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Complete USTFCCCA Rankings

Apr. 6, 2011-- The North Central College men's track & field squad is fifth in the first installment of the National Team Computer Rankings for the outdoor season, released Wednesday by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The computer rankings are new for the 2011 season. Mathematical formulae based on current national descending-order lists in all events are used to compile a team's ranking. The purpose of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots at the NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Cardinals amassed 113.27 points in the initial Top 25 rankings. Benefitting from an early start to the outdoor season, McMurry University (Texas) sits atop the rankings with 243.19 points, followed by a pair of California schools in La Verne University (137.25 points) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (137.09 points). Central College (Iowa) is fourth with 135.40 points with North Central rounding out the top five.

Augustana College is the only other College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin institution in the rankings, sitting seventh with 109.22 points.

North Central, the 2011 indoor national champions and defending outdoor champions, opened up the outdoor season over the weekend, hosting the First Chance Invitational where four athletes hit national qualifying marks.

Michael Spain clocked the nation's fastest time in the 10,000-meters, winning the event in a an automatic qualifying time of 29:37.82 while Daniel Benton hit the provisional standard in the 400-meters, winning the event in 47.99. In the field events, Peter Geraghty and Josh Winder hit the provisional standard in the pole vault, both clearing 16 feet, 5 1/4 inches.

The Cardinals return to the track on Friday, April 8, competing at the Chicagoland Outdoor Championships.