Jarred Iacovelli (middle) and Mitch Ryan (background) compete during the finals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Iacovelli finished third to earn All-America honors and Ryan placed ninth.
WAVERLY, IOWA – Cortland senior
Jarred Iacovelli (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) earned All-America honors with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the closing day of competition at the NCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Wartburg College.
Cortland finished in a four-way tie for 10th place nationally in the final team standings with 21 points. It's the Red Dragons' best team finish since back-to-back national runner-up showings in 2007 and 2008. A total of 141 schools had men's competitors at the meet, with 81 of them scoring at least one point.
Iacovelli earned six points for his steeplechase finish, while
Nick Vachon (Johnson City/Maine-Endwell) scored 10 points for his high jump national title and
Jack Flood (Blue Point/Bayport-Blue Point) tallied five points for his fourth-place effort in the decathlon earlier at the meet. Wisconsin-La Crosse won its second straight national title and third in four years with 41 points.
Iacovelli, who finished ninth in the steeplechase last spring, improved to a third-place finish with a time of 9:14.62. The top eight finishers in each event score points and are All-Americans. Junior
Mitch Ryan (Plattsburgh/Seton Catholic) placed ninth in the 14-runner field in 9:23.08.
Iacovelli ran with the front pack of runners for most of the race, and he briefly took the lead with about two laps remaining in the seven-and-a-half lap competition. Ryan Bugler of St. John's (Minn.) pulled away late to win in 9:11.98, with Iacovelli eventually holding on for third. Ryan was in the top four with two laps left before falling back toward the end and missing All-America honors by one place.
Two Red Dragons competed in field events Saturday. Junior
Mitch Couch (Oneonta) finished in 12th place in the hammer throw at 54.52 meters (178' 10.5") and sophomore
Dawan Jones (Buffalo/Tapestry Charter) was 20th in the triple jump at 13.15 meters (43' 1.75"). Edward Cummins of Rhode Island College won the hammer at 62.19 meters (204' 5") and Buffalo State's Benjamin Ezike won the triple jump at 15.53 meters (50' 11.5").
Final Results (women listed first, then men)
Championship Page (by host school Wartburg)
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