North Central Cardinals

Last updated
North Central Cardinals
North-Central-College-C3C55CCB.jpg
University North Central College
Conference College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
NCAA Division III
Athletic directorJim Miller
Location Naperville, Illinois
Varsity teams24
Football stadium Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium
Basketball arenaMerner Field House
Baseball stadiumZimmerman Stadium
Softball stadiumShanower Family Field
Outdoor track and field venueAl B. Carius Track
Other venuesNichols Gymnasium
NicknameCardinals
ColorsCardinal and black [1]
   
Website northcentralcardinals.com
Team NCAA championships
26 [2]

The North Central Cardinals are the athletic teams that represent North Central College, located in Naperville, Illinois, in NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports.

Contents

The Cardinals compete as members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) for all sports except women's triathlon, which is an independent.

Conference affiliations

Varsity teams

List of teams

Individual programs

Basketball

North Central's women's basketball team won the 1983 NCAA Women's Division III Basketball Championship in an 83-71 win over then-defending champions, Elizabethtown College. The men's team reached the Division III Sweet Sixteen in 2012, and the Final Four in 2013.

Football

North Central's football team won the 2019 NCAA championship, and first in program history, with a 41-14 victory against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Following the 2020 Covid-19 season in which no games were played, they finished as National Runner-Up in 2021 after losing the National Championship game to University of Mary Harden-Baylor. In 2022 they reached the National Championship again, where they defeated Mount Union 28-21.

Track and field

The college is best known for its men's track and field and cross country teams, which have won 25 national championships, under the leadership of Coach Al Carius. Carius has been coach since 1966 and was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. [3] [4] For the 2009-2010 school year, the men's cross country and indoor/outdoor track teams swept the NCAA Division III Championships. North Central is only the second school in Division III history to accomplish this feat. [5] During the 2011-2012 school year, the men's indoor track team repeated again as national champions, and the cross country team repeated as national champions. The campus has also hosted past NCAA Division III national events.

Facilities

The southern portion of campus which includes many athletic facilities like the stadium and fieldhouse. North Central College athletic area.jpg
The southern portion of campus which includes many athletic facilities like the stadium and fieldhouse.

Athletic facilities include Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, which seats 5,500, was completed in 1999. The Jay and Dot Buikema track was resurfaced in 1997 and a Safeplay Plus artificial playing surface was installed in 2011. The stadium has hosted numerous high-profile events, including the Illinois high school boys and girls soccer state finals and the Wes Spencer Crosstown Classic, the annual showdown between Naperville North and Naperville Central high schools. It also served as the temporary home of the Chicago Fire for two seasons while Chicago's Soldier Field was reconstructed. In summer 2009, the stadium hosted an outdoor concert by the band Lifehouse.

North Central College's baseball facility, Zimmerman Stadium, which includes Alumni Field, was dedicated in 1999. The home of Cardinal baseball has permanent seating for 750 fans and a fully enclosed and wireless press box. The facility has hosted the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tournament and Major League Baseball's RBI World Series and Area Code tryouts.

Cardinal softball plays at Shanower Family Field. In April 2002, the field was dedicated to honor the family of Don Shanower, beloved professor emeritus of speech communication and theatre and enthusiastic softball fan. The dedication took on added meaning after the Shanowers' son Dan, a commander in the U.S. Navy, was among the victims of the September 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. The field has hosted an NCAA III regional tournament and was part of Major League Baseball's RBI World Series.

Merner Field House is home to Cardinal indoor sports except track and field, with 2,478 seats in Gregory Arena for the basketball and volleyball teams. On the second floor of Merner Field House is Nichols Gymnasium, home to the North Central College wrestling team. The college's swimming pool is also located in the Field House.

The Residence Hall/Recreation Center opened in the fall of 2009. This combination residential hall and 91,000-square-foot (8,500 m2) recreational center also contains a regulation NCAA 200-meter running track and is home to the Cardinal indoor track team. The Res/Rec Center has won national acclaim due to its environmentally conscious design. The facility, with its innovative geothermal heating and cooling system and other sustainability features, has been awarded LEED Silver Certification. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin</span> Athletic conference in the NCAA

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.

The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-America team for their sport. Some sports have multiple All-America teams, and list the honorees as members of a first team, second team, or third team.

The NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship refers to one of three annual collegiate indoor track and field competitions for women organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association for athletes from institutions that make up its three divisions: NCAA Division I, II, and III. In each event athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and the team with the most points receives the NCAA team title in track and field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa State Cyclones</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Iowa State University

The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium</span> Athletic facility at North Central College

Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium, formerly Cardinal Stadium, is a stadium in Naperville, Illinois. It is primarily used for American football, soccer and track and field and has a seating capacity of 5,500. It was home to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer from 2002 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Valley State Lakers</span> Athletic teams representing Grand Valley State University

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University, located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Flames and Lady Flames</span> Athletics teams of Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States

The Liberty Flames and Lady Flames are the athletics teams of Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. They are a member of the NCAA Division I level in 20 sports. As of July 1, 2023, LU is a member of Conference USA (CUSA) for most sports, joining that league after five years as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIU Edwardsville Cougars</span> Athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), located in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. The Cougars' athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level. The SIUE mascot is Eddie the Cougar #57, and the school colors are red and white. Cougar teams have won seventeen NCAA national championships in five sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillsdale Chargers</span> Sports programs at Hillsdale College in Michigan

The Hillsdale Chargers are the athletic teams that represent Hillsdale College, located in Hillsdale, Michigan, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Chargers are currently members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference as of 2017. The Chargers had been members of the GLIAC since 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Mavericks</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Minnesota State University

The Minnesota State Mavericks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Minnesota State University, Mankato. The school's athletic program includes 21 varsity sports teams. More than 600 students participate each year in athletics for the university. Most of the university's athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division II level in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete at the Division I level, respectively in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Minnesota State began competition in the NSIC in 2008–09, due to the dissolution of the North Central Conference. It was also one of the seven WCHA men's hockey members that left that league after the 2020–21 season to reestablish the CCHA, a move that led to the demise of the men's side of the WCHA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisconsin–La Crosse Eagles</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Wisconsin–La Crosse

The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Eagles are the athletic teams of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. The Eagles athletic teams compete in at the NCAA Division III as a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Wisconsin–La Crosse's teams were known as the Indians from 1937 to 1989. The name was changed because of concerns of racial insensitivity regarding Native Americans; see Native American mascot controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers</span> Collegiate sports teams in Indiana, U.S.

The Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers are the athletics teams for Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology, located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. The Fightin' Engineers athletic program is a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and competes at the NCAA Division III level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheaton Lyons</span> College sports teams

The Wheaton Lyons represents Massachusetts' Wheaton College and fields 21 varsity intercollegiate teams, 9 for men and 12 for women, in addition to 14 club sports programs and a variety of intramural activities. The school's teams play within the NCAA Division III and in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division III men's outdoor track and field championships</span> Football tournament

The NCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship are the annual collegiate outdoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Athletes' individual performances earn points for their institution and individual national titles while the team with the most points receives the NCAA team title for outdoor track and field.

The 1965 NCAA University Division Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested June 17−19 at the 43rd annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate University Division outdoor track and field events in the United States.

The 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested June 4−8 at the 52nd annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate University Division outdoor track and field events in the United States. This was the first championship after the NCAA rechristened the former University Division as Division I.

The 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested May 31−June 4 at the 55th annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate Division I outdoor track and field events in the United States.

The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested May 29−June 2 at the 57th annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate Division I outdoor track and field events in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vin Lananna</span> American track and field coach (born 1953)

Vin Lananna is an American track and field coach. He coached collegiate teams included the Stanford Cardinal and the Oregon Ducks. He has served as national team coach for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was included in the 2012 USTFCCCA Hall of Fame as a coach.

The 1985 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships were contested March 8−9, 1985 at the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York to determine the individual and team national champions of men's and women's NCAA collegiate indoor track and field events in the United States. These were the 21st annual men's championships and the 3rd annual women's championships.

References

  1. ↑ "NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE CARDINALS" . Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  2. ↑ "North Central College Athletics". northcentralcardinals.com.
  3. ↑ "North Central College Athletics - 2013 Men's Track and Field Coaching Staff". northcentralcardinals.com. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  4. ↑ "Al Carius, USTFCCCA Class of 2006 ::: USTFCCCA". www.ustfccca.org. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  5. ↑ "North Central College Athletics". North Central College.
  6. ↑ "LEED certificiation - North Central College - Naperville, IL". northcentralcollege.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.