DELAWARE, Ohio (May 22, 2014) - An orchestrated team effort yielded huge dividends for the North Central College men's track and field team Thursday, as the Cardinals opened the 2014 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships by securing three of the top five spots in the 10,000-meter run at Selby Stadium.

Leading the candy-striped crusade was senior John Crain, who claimed his fourth individual national championship and his third in the current calendar year. North Central now has 52 individual and relay national championships in men's track and field and 120 overall.

The race started off at a trot, as the entire field was tightly-bunched for nearly four miles as each of the 20 competitors waited for one of the others to make the move that would define the race. The catalyst turned out to be Crain, who moved to the front of the pack with nine laps left in the 25-lap event and acted decisively to break up the pack. He subjected the field to a 4:28 mile late in the running that left him with only one nearby pursuer, Haverford College's Chris Stadler.