Allen Carius

Celebrating his 68th birthday Thursday is former Illini cross-country and track and field star Allen Carius. The Morton native was a two-time cross-country champion at Illinois for coach Phil Coleman. He also was a three-time 2-mile titlist in the Big Ten. Carius ran competitively until 1968 and at the end of the 1966 season had the United States' fifth-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:48). After serving two years as a graduate assistant at Illinois, Carius became head cross-country and track and field coach at North Central College (NCC). He soon will begin his 46th season as NCC's mentor, establishing a dynasty that is unmatched at the collegiate level. Thirteen times his cross-country teams have won national titles, including three in a row from 1997 through 1999. Carius' Cardinals have finished runner-up 12 times in 35 years of NCAA Division III competition. North Central has five NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field titles and two NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field titles. Of 64 CCIW Outdoor Track & Field Championships that have been contested, Carius' teams have won 32 times. NCC swept the indoor and outdoor titles for the second time and became only the second program in Division III history to win the national cross-country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field championships in the same academic year. Carius was honored as cross-country "Coach of the Century," as well as being named NCAA Division III Cross-Country Coach of the Year in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2009. He is also a member of numerous Halls of Fame, including that of the Illinois Track and Cross-Country Coaches, the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association, and the Drake Relays. In October 2006, he became an honorary alumnus of North Central. He, wife Pam and their children live in Naperville.

CHAMPAIGN — Nine-time Illinois All-America distance runner Angela Bizzarri on Thursday was named an ESPN the Magazine first-team Academic All-American.
The cellular and molecular biology major with a 3.62 GPA is one of six Big Ten women on the list. Bizzarri, who just finished her collegiate career, won the 2009 cross-country national championship and the indoor 3,000-meter title.

Bizzarri, Langley named UI's top female, male athletes for 2009-10

CHAMPAIGN – Angela Bizzarri joined some truly select company Wednesday.

The three-time NCAA distance running champion became a three-time winner of the Dike Eddleman Award. How rare is that?

HEADLINES YOU WON'T READ IN 2010-11:

Assembly Hall naming rights to BP

On the occasion of their youngest daughter's high school graduation this month, Paul and Diane Bizzarri decided to observe the milestone with a nostalgic trip back in time.

Upon returning home from ceremonies at Mason High School in Cincinnati, the Bizzarris sat down to view old family videos of Class of 2010 graduate Carmen and big sister Angela.

Softball A T-Second — 45-win team set program mark for winning percentage

Best of Bizzarri

A look at Angela Bizzarri's top achievements during the 2009-10 school year: