Clark Teuscher, North Central College

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- North Central College head men's cross country coach Al Carius has been voted the 2017 NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), giving him the award for the 11th time and the sixth time in the past nine seasons.

Carius was announced as this season's winner on Tuesday after the Cardinals cruised to their second straight national championship and national all-divisions record 18th title overall at Principia College on Saturday. The Cardinals claimed four of the top 17 individual finishes in the 279-man field, winning with a total of 57 points. North Central achieved a 139-point margin of victory, second only to the meet-record 144-point margin it accomplished in 2016. In 45 years of Division III competition, the Cardinals have finished first or second 34 times.

The Cardinals also claimed their 29th Midwest Region Championship on Nov. 11 at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Illinois with a total of 34 points, winning the title for the ninth time in the past 10 years. The Cardinals also won their 44th consecutive College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) championship on Oct. 29, finishing with a perfect score of 15 for the ninth time.

A 2016 North Central honorary doctorate degree recipient, Carius is a USTFCCCA, Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, Chicagoland Sports and Drake Relays Hall of Fame member. 

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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2016-17 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,900 academic all-conference recipients, 10 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 33 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, one CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and over 100 all-Americans.