FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Complete USTFCCCA Top 25 Rankings
Apr. 20, 2011-- The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its week three National Team Computer Rankings for the outdoor season on Wednesday with the North Central College women's track & field team climbing up to 11th.
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 increased their point total by 23.73 points this week to 70.33, climbing up 12 places from 23rd to 11th. Carthage College is the only other College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin squad to appear in the Top 25, climbing into the rankings at 16th with 54.01 points.
The top four remained unchanged from a week ago, Wartburg College (Iowa) maintains the No. 1 position with 222.65 points while 2011 Indoor National Champion University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is second with 220.58 points. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (Calif.) is third (128.48) followed by Methodist University (N.C.) with 123.37 points. Central College (Iowa) rounds out the top five, moving up two spots with 90.63 points.
North Central easily won the six-team Wheaton College Twilight Invitational last Wednesday, collecting six event winners and three provisional qualifiers while one school record was broken. The Cardinals 173.5 points in the team standings allowed for a 38.5-point buffer over runner-up University of Chicago.
Amanda Laesch was one of the three provisional qualifiers, winning the 5,000-meters in a school record time of 17:14.12, a performance that currently stands as the third fastest time this season in NCAA Division III.
The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, making the short trip to DeKalb, Ill. for Northern Illinois University's Huskie Open.
