USTFCCCA All-Americans Announced for Division III Outdoor Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the 177 men and 163 women that earned USTFCCCA All-America distinctions for the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season. A total of 424 awards will be given as a result of performances at the past weekend’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Delaware, Ohio.

The men of North Central (Ill.) claimed their second-straight NCAA indoor-outdoor sweep of national team titles with a two-point, 58-56 triumph over runner-up UW-La Crosse. UW-Oshkosh’s women won their first national team crown since 2007 by outscoring the field with 80 points, 21 ahead of runner-up Wartburg.

USTFCCCA All-Americans (PDFs): By Team | By Event | All-America History

NCAA Championship Scoring Summary | National Rankings Final Week-by-Week

NCAA Recap: Thursday | Friday (Men/Women) | Saturday (Men/Women)
FINAL Results
Championship Scoring Summary
USTFCCCA’s National Championships Central

NCAA TEAM FINISHES

The men’s race was intense and came down to the 4×400 relay. North Central entered the event with a 52-51 lead over La Crosse. In what was one of the more exciting finishes ever to a 4×400, McMurry nearly caught Rowan at the tape after a late surge for the relay crown, but Rowan was the victor at 3:11.45 while McMurry clocked 3:11.50. Meanwhile, after coming off the final turn three-wide, the battle, for what would be third and fourth, between North Central and La Crosse was not decided until the final five meters as Dan Benton, earlier the national 400-meter victor, would come across in 3:11.64, just enough ahead of La Crosse’s Aric Hoeshcen (3:11.84).

In addition to Benton, North Central would gain a double winner in senior Mike Spain who took crowns at 5000 and 10,000 meters with both happening in thrilling fashion. La Crosse’s Issac Vazquez won the triple jump crown and added a fourth in the triple jump.

McMurry finished third with 50 points as Kevin Cunningham won the 400 hurdles and was the leadoff for the 4×100 national-champion squad. Washington (Mo.) placed fourth with 34 points with junior Dan Davis winning the 110-meter hurdle national crown.

On the women’s side, UW-Oshkosh scored 80 points and four event titles. Sophomore Christy Cazzola was the victor in the 1500 meters while Jecel Gerner won the shot put, Breanna Sturpp took the discus, and Holly Ozanich claimed the top spot with the hammer. Ozanich also was second in the shot put.

Wartburg, with 59 points, placed second with the Nevada and Skye Morrison show. The twins combined for 29 points in individual events as Nevada won the 400 and second in the 200 while Skye was third in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump. Both sisters also led Wartburg to the school’s fifth-straight 4×400 title with Nevada as anchor and to a third-place showing in the 4×100.

Ashlynn Chavis and Ruby Blackwell led Methodist to a third-place showing with 48 points. Chavis was the 100-meter and long jump champ while Blackwell won the 200 and was second in the 100. MIT claimed fourth placeas Portia Jones earned four All-America certificates with a second-place showing in the 100 hurdles, a third-place notch in the 200 and as a member of scoring 4×100 and 4×400 relays.

USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICA HONORS

MIT’s Jones along with Wartburg’s Morrison twins and Ithaca’s Emma Dewart led all with four USTFCCCA All-America certificates apiece. Dewart was second in the heptathlon, third in the long jump, fourth in the high jump, and eighth in the 100 hurdles. On the men’s side, Matt Gordy (UW-La Crosse), Xavier Mateen (Buffalo State), Kevin Cunningham (McMurry), and Ryan Householder (Marietta) each claimed three All-America nods.

UW-La Crosse led all men’s teams with 16 All-America plaudits, followed by McMurry (12), and North Central (11). Wartburg’s women claimed 16 nods to lead the category, followed by UW-Oshkosh (15) and MIT (14).

The WIAC bested all other conferences with 45 men’s certificates and 30 women’s. The OAC followed on the men’s side with 19, followed by the SCIAC (18) and CCIW (15). On the women’s side, the IIAC (25) claimed the second most, followed by the CCIW (18) and the NEWMAC (16).

To earn USTFCCCA All-America honors, athletes must have scored any portion of a team point at the NCAA Championships. USTFCCCA membership by a program is required to earn All-America awards.

2011 USTFCCCA Outdoor Track & Field All-America – NCAA Division III

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