Claremont, Calif. -- May 26, 2012 -- Brian Fuller of Springfield College placed third in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Saturday, thus becoming an All-American. That event completed the men's track & field season -- as well as all SC varsity sports competition for the 2011-2012 academic year.Fuller completed the race with a time of 8:56.05. It was his best time of the year. The grad student from Ludlow, Mass. finished behind senior Nick Kramer of Calvin, who ran a time of 8:51.01. In second was junior Jack Davies of Middlebury in 8:54.61.
Fuller had qualified in this event second. But in the preliminaries, which took place two days before, he placed 12th overall with a time of 9:16.12 as he tried to conserve energy, yet still qualify for the finals.
A year ago, Brian had placed ninth at the NCAA's in this same event with a time of 9:13.04. That was one place shy of finishing as an All-American. This year, by finishing third, he did become an All-American.
Fuller's third-place finish earned his Springfield team four points. Those four points allowed SC to finish in a tie for 37th among 84 point-scoring teams at the NCAA's.
McMurry University of Abilene, Texas scored 66 points to win the team title on the men's side. Wartburg College of Waverly, Iowa scored 129 points to win the team title on the women's side,
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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