Springfield, Mass. - May 23, 2011 - Four student-athletes will represent Springfield College at the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week as Kevin Coyle, Kelly Curtis, Brian Fuller, and Nickel Hay will compete in Delaware, Ohio from May 26-28.Coyle will look to continue his success on the national scene as he will compete in both the triple jump and long jump. The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Field Athlete of the Year is seeded third in the long jump with a mark of 7.40 meters, while ranking fifth in the triple jump after reaching a qualifying distance of 14.98 meters. The Bradford, N.H. native previously won the national championship in the long jump this year at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in early March.
Hay will compete for the first time as an individual at the outdoor championships after qualifying in the 200 meter dash. A native of Norwalk, Conn., the NEWMAC Men's Track Athlete of the Year is seeded 13th in a field of 22 with a qualifying time of 21.69. Last season, Hay was a member of Springfield's national runner-up 4x100 relay team.
Fuller will conclude his senior year by running in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the national meet. A local product of Ludlow, Mass., Fuller will compete for the first time in the NCAA Track Championships after he qualified with the 14th fastest time, 9:12.64, in the 19-man field.
In her first season with Springfield, Curtis has qualified to compete in both the heptathlon and the javelin. The junior is ranked second in the heptathlon with 4,738 points and will look to duplicate her success on the big stage after previously winning the collegiate heptathlon at the Penn Relays this season. The NEWMAC Field Athlete of the Year is also seeded 13th out of 23 competitors in the javelin throw after tossing a qualifying mark of 41.89 meters.
Ken Klatka, just inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in October, 2011, enters his 37th season as head coach of the men’s track and field program in 2012-2013. He ranks among the nation’s most successful coaches, with an overall record of 442 wins, 144 losses, and two ties for an impressive .753 winning percentage. Under his direction, Kevin Coyle '12 won the 2011 Division III Indoor Long Jump National Championship.
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