pastinterviews

NCCharrier.com got an opportunity to exclusively interview one of the elite distance runners in the country, and we simply could not pass up this opportunity. Jesse Baumann is a senior at University of Wisconsin -- Stevens Point, and his performances speak for themselves. Multiple North Central runners have competed against him in the past and everyone respects his competitiveness and sportsmanship that he portrays. We are glad to have Jesse as our first non-NCC exclusive interviewee.

Todd Radecky is an alum of North Central College who ran for the Cardinals during the 1990s. While at NCC, he was committed, accountable, respectful, hard-nose guy on whom you could always count on. Rain or shine, Todd was always on the go pumping out milleage to get better. He went far beyond just the physical aspect - he continues to be an inspiration and a great example to all who wish to be successful at any level. His career success story is one of the great many that former Cardinal athletes lead today. Todd currently works for Nike Corporation in Portland, Oregon and has shown great loyalty to the program at NCC with his ongoing generous support from Nike. Here is an interview with Todd, letting you know more about who he is and what he stands for.

Congrats to Dave on joining the NCC scrapper of the week club! Dave Johnson laid his pair out on the line this weekend for his team as he provisionally qualified for NCAA’s with a PR performance in the 10k of 31:27 and trouncing his old mark of 32:24 in his second place performance only to last week’s scrapper, Pat Rizzo. NCCharrier.com caught up with Dave (aka DJ) this past weekend to get a closer look into the life and mind of one of the hottest racers on the D3 circuit. His initial response to our staff was an utterance of the words “D Bags” under his breath. But after a little coaxing, we were able to really open him up and find out what makes Dave Johnson tick.

Congratulations to Pat Rizzo for being the first “In the Spotlight” showcase on our NCC Scrappers web page. This weekend Pat toed the line with some of the best at Eastern Michigan’s Twilight Meet, as he “jibber-jabbered” his way to 16 second PR in the 5k, clocking in at 14:45 and provisionally qualifying him for NCAA’s. However, that is not the only reason we decided to commemorate him. Pat is a cross country All-American and has proven himself as one of NCC’s most consistent racers in the clutch. Pat is also widely recognized for other distinguishing features such as his abnormally large nose, and his current standing world record of 23 days 6 hours and 2 minutes of straight talking!

For NCCharrier.com's third scrapper of the week selection, we decided to take a different route and shying away from a distance runner as we have in with the first two athletes. That being said, this athlete most certainly does not deter from the meaning of the title "NCC scrapper". Brandon Strode is one of NCC's brightest young track stars running at NCAA's as a freshman in the 110HH's and will be there again for his sophomore year as he qualified for NCAA's at the CCIW's with a mark of 14.54 and establishing himself as one of the finest hurdlers in Division III as a sophomore! Brandon was one of 4 NCC hurdlers that racked up 44 points as a crew at conference last weekend helping NCC win it's 19th straight title. Not to mention, Brandon is one of the hardest workers on the team. If you can't find him on the track tearin' over the hurdles, then you are sure to find him pounding the weights in Merner's upstairs weight room.Congratulations Brandon on being the first non-distance scrapper of the week!

This weekend Andy Hubner stunned the nation with his performance at the North Central Invitational with his 3:52.5 1500 performance winning the race and qualifying himself for NCAA’s this coming weekend. Hubner’s blistering final quarter of 56 seconds proved that he can run with the best of them, and he will this weekend in one of the finest fields for a 1500 meter race in DIII history. Among Andy’s other distinguishing characteristics that helped to clinch his Scrapper of the Week award are his versatility and amazing competitive edge. As noted by his PR’s… the kid’s got range and has a bright future ahead of him at NCC as he looks to conclude his freshman year in style. Congrats and tear it up at Nat’s, Andy!

This past weekend was one of the most exciting national track meets that I have had the pleasure of being apart of at North Central, and part of that excitement was instigated in the Pole Vault where NCC sent 3 vaulters to the National meet. All three performed very well gaining valuable national experience and clearing some impressive heights. As the competition wore on though, Brian Deloriea kept amazing the crowd as he cleared height after height leaving the crowd frantically flipping through their programs to find out who this North Central kid is. When Brian cleared 16’1 and some change he pumped his fists in relief, as he knew he had All-American honors wrapped up. His athletic instincts did not stop there. There was more work to be done. At the next height Brian cleared 16’6 dropping the rest of the field but one competitor for UW-Lacrosse. From there, it was a one on one match that found new fans being drawn into the pole vault area. Again they both cleared 17’0.75 bringing even more adrenaline and suspense to the competition. Brian remained and 17’ while Hans Schmidt of Lacrosse vaulted his PR of 17-6 snagging the National title with Brian placing an incredible 2nd place. Not bad for a kid receiving his first All-American honor who PR’d by a foot at the National Championships!

Ed Riegert, alum of North Central College, has been one of the most successful middle distance runners in NCC history. He transferred from De Paul University, a Division I school into a powerhouse of Division III. He is a multi All-American in track and field, finishing as high as second at NCAA Div.III nationals in the 1500m and 800m runs in the year 2000. Ed graduated in 2001 and currently has come back to NCC to become one of the coaches on a Cardinal staff. He continues to run to this day, as running is a big part of his life beyond the physical aspect of the sport. Here is an interview with Ed.

NCC Harrier is proud to bring you this very special interview with legendary High School Coach Joe Newton of York High School in Elmhurst, IL. Coach Newton has won an unprecedented 24 State Championships in Cross Country and 1 in Track. He also helped Coach the U.S. Olympic team in 1988. NCC Harrier would like to congratulate York for winning its latest State title just this past weekend.

NCC Harrier is proud to bring you another exclusive interview! This time Jorge Torres, Illinois native, discusses life as a college and as a professional runner. Jorge was born in Chicago ran for Wheeling High School. After completing high school he went on to run at University of Colorado where he won cross country nationals in 2002. He currently is coaching at CU and running professionally with Reebok. Most recently he was featured in the documentary Five Thousand Meters.

NCC Harrier is proud to bring you another exclusive interview with North Central's most recent National Champion Megan Rossi. Megan vaulted to first place in the Indoor National Championships and in our hearts. NCC Harrier would like to take this time to congratulate Megan on her great accomplishment!

NCCHarrier is pleased to present an interview with the legendary Tim McCoskey ’01. Tim was a national champion in cross country but is better known for being among the best mid-distance runners in NCC (and DIII) history. Mr. McCoskey is currently a teacher and assistant coach at Neuqua Valley High School. Tim is also a part of the Neuqua Valley Girls Track and Field coaching staff. This past weekend they had a number of representatives at the Illinois state meet in a wide variety of events. As DIII Nationals approaches, NCCharrier has the privilege of sharing this interview in which Tim talks about his running career, favorite NCC memories, nationals experiences, and his perspective on the current North Central track and cross country teams. Enjoy!

NCC Harrier is proud to bring you an interview with Travis Hartke. Hailing from the cornfields of Litchfield, Illinois, Travis is one of this year's cross country captains. Although he may not be blessed with the greatest amount of natural running talent, his work ethic on and off the track is to be admired. Travis represents what an NCC runner should strive to be, a hard worker who is hungry to improve and puts the good of the team ahead of his own personal interests.

NCC Harrier is honored to bring you this interview with Pole Vauult coach Tim Winder. In this interview, courtesy of Colin Young coach Winder describes this past season as well as his experiences here at NCC. Winder has thirteen years under his belt as an NCC coach and has developed not only great vaulters but great people through his program.

Here is where you can find the juiciest of juicy information about current athletes, friends, alumns, coaches, top level athletes, and so many more. All of these people have experienced a lot and are giving some of there knowledge to the rest of us through these interviews. Learn about what it was like "back in the day," or learn what people did the night before racing or how they kept themselves motivated. Its all here...Enjoy!

Want to see somebody interviewed? Contact Kyle Brady at kpbrady@noctrl.edu

This year Brian has shown everyone all over the country that he is the real deal. He has on amazing summer and the success he has had this CC season shows it. Brain went to Schaumburg High School and was coached by one of our Founding Fathers, Jim Macnider. This was a fun interview brought to you by Kyle Horst. I hope you enjoy it!

Julius White has had one stellar carrier! Regardless of how long it has taken, he is arguably one of the most insightful, focused individuals ever to come through the program, as well as one hell of a captain and teammate. A man who truly lets his every action speak volumes about his character. We may not have saved the best for last but I would say it's about time! I hope you all appreciate as much as I do Julius taking the time to talk with harrier, and that all of you can gain some insight into a truly badass runner!

NCC Harrier is proud to bring you an overdue interview with National Champion and soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee Tony Bleull! While at NCC, Tony was a 4-time All-American ( 3 in XC, 1 in Track) and the 1983 NCAA Division 3 Cross Country National Champion. He was part of two national XC championship teams ( 1981,1982) and a great leader! This is an awesome interview and gives us a great understanding of an excellent team-oriented runner!

Over the past couple years Chance Kelch has emerged as a heck of a leader for the young North Central distance squad. He has brought the young cardinals on the right path and will certainly leave a legacy at North Central that will affect the team many years in the future.

Over the four years that he's been at North Central, Mike Bina has transformed into a great pole vaulter and even more importantly a great person. He has come a long way and is looking to go out with a bang this weekend at the National Championships in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

John Lancaster has developed into a great runner over the past couple years. While the last couple of seasons haven't gone as expected, Lancaster and others are working hard to get things back on the right path. Read this exciting interview with this great senior leader.