North Central cross country remains atop rankings
Another week, another No. 1 ranking for the North Central men’s cross country team.
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its NCAA Division III regional rankings Tuesday, placing the Cardinals atop the Midwest Region for the seventh straight week. Washington (Mo.) stayed in the No. 2 spot it claimed a week ago, while North Central’s College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rival Wheaton College catapulted six spots to take over the No. 3 ranking.
But North Central’s top billing was never in doubt as the Cardinals maintained their position by dominating the 47-team UW-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational in Winneconne, Wis., on Saturday.
Led by junior Matt Perez — named the CCIW runner of the week Tuesday — the Cardinals scored 49 points to finish 88 points ahead of runner-up Washington (Mo.). This is the fourth consecutive year that North Central has won the Brooks Invitational title.
Perez was North Central’s top runner Saturday, pacing the Cardinals’ victory by completing the 8K course in 25:07 to cross the finish line fourth. He has been named the CCIW runner of the week three times this season, including three of the past six weeks.
Perez’s time at the Brooks Invitational was 35 seconds off of his best 8K time of the season, a 24:32 he posted at the Illinois Intercollegiates.
North Central won’t be in action again until Oct. 29, when the Cardinals will run in the CCIW Championships in Chicago.
Football: Caleb Bednarz (Wheaton Warrenville South) was named the CCIW special teams player of the week for his efforts in No. 8 North Central’s 61-14 win over Millikin on Saturday.
The freshman defensive back/punt returner earned special teams recognition for the second time this season by returning a Millikin punt 80 yards for a touchdown. Bednarz’s second punt return touchdown of the year was also the second longest in school history. He is averaging 19.9 yards a punt return this year and has scored on two of his eight attempts. He also had a 95-yard return nullified by a penalty earlier in the year.
“We always try to get Caleb one or more returns each game,” said North Central coach John Thorne, who praised Bednarz’s vision and ability to change directions without slowing down. “He’s just been awesome.”
Bednarz’s North Central teammate Mike Boettcher earned CCIW offensive player of the week honors for his efforts in the blowout victory. The senior running back set the Cardinals’ single-game season high for yardage with 186 yards and tied the school’s single-game touchdown record with 4 — and he did it with just 15 carries in one half of work.
“He had a great day,” Thorne said. “He really looked good.”
North Central improved to 5-1 with a 3-0 mark in CCIW play.
Wheaton: With another CCIW championship team title in hand, the Wheaton College women’s tennis team dominated the conference’s postseason awards last week.
Wheaton placed four players on the 2011 CCIW all-conference team on Thursday, led by CCIW Player of the Year Elizabeth Worsowicz. This is Worsowicz’s third consecutive player of the year honor and the fourth straight time the senior has been named first team all-conference. She won the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles titles at the CCIW championship this year, and owns a 14-1 mark in singles and a 12-3 doubles mark on the season.
Wheaton sophomore Sarah Ray (first team), junior Kirsten Boyer (second team) and freshman Lauren Schlabach (second team) were also named to all-conference teams. Wheaton coach Jane Nelson earned coach of the year honors. Her teams have won 17 CCIW team titles, including the last seven in a row.
Benedictine: In its bid to become the first program in Northern Athletics Conference history to win back-to-back league titles, the Benedictine football team is racking up weekly awards.
Junior defensive lineman Ben Lockton and sophomore punter Billy Dixon were honored Tuesday for their play in Benedictine’s 20-14 victory over Concordia Wisconsin. Lockton earned the conference’s defensive player of the week honors. It was the first time he has been recognized this season.
Dixon was named special teams player of the week after averaging a little less than 39 yards on 7 punt attempts against Concordia. It was Dixon’s second special teams award of the season and third of his career.
Benedictine (4-2, 3-0 Northern Athletics) has received six weekly awards this season.