A senior from Storrs, Conn., Miller finished Day 1 of the two-day decathlon with a total of 3,449 points. He trails only James Spaulding of Southern Maine, who has a total of 3,463 points.
"It was the best first day of his life," said his coach, Ken Klatka. "He's very pleased, and so am I. We're hoping Mike will qualify for the Division III nationals, which take place later in May."
The NCAA Division III National Outdoor Track & Field Championships will occur May 22-24 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Helping his case was a closing time of 51.33 seconds in the 400 -- a personal best by two full seconds. He finished third in the 400. Just prior to the 400, he won the high jump with a leap of 6-5.
In the other three events, Mike ran a 12.06 in the 100, jumped 20-feet, 7-inches in the long jump, and threw the shot put 41-feet, 3 inches.
On Thursday, Mike will compete in five other events at Holy Cross on Day 2.
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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