North Central's Winder Named Assistant Coach of the Year

From North Central College

North Central College assistant men's and women's track and field coach Tim Winder has been honored by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCC) as its 2012 NCAA Division III National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Winder, in his 19th year as the coach of North Central's pole vaulters, qualified five men to the Division III Outdoor Championships in the pole vault. Cardinals wound up claiming the top three spots at the championships, as junior Peter Geraghtycleared a meet-record height of 17 feet, 8 1/2 inches to win his second straight outdoor national championship. Senior John Wood took second place, while juniorJosh Winder, the 2012 Division III indoor national champion, placed third. At the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Outdoor Championships, the Cardinals swept the top five positions in the vault to help North Central to its 34th conference team title.

Winder was also named the Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year this season. He was also named the Midwest Region's Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2010 and 2011 indoor seasons, and received National Assistant Coach of the Year honors following the 2010 indoor national championships.

During his tenure at North Central, Winder has coached 11 national champions in the vault (seven men, four women) including the last three outdoor national champions. The 24 points scored by his vaulters at this year's outdoor championships helped lead to a fifth-place finish in the team standings.