Tommie Sports - Men's Track and Field
Hutton is national champ, Men get fifth at NCAAs
tie 5that NCAA Cham (M), March 10, 2012
St. Thomas senior Mike Hutton won the 800-meter Division III championship Saturday, one of four UST All-America honors, to lead the Tommies to a fifth-place team finish at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Grinnell, Iowa.
A four-time All-American, Hutton clocked 1:52.26 to edge runner-up Jake Waterman of Wabash (1:52.55) by .29 of a second and claim his first NCAA title.
Junior Eyo Ekpo scored 13 team points as he placed second in the triple jump in a career-best 50-2 and fourth in the high jump in 6-9 3-4. Ekpo was just four inches behind triple jump champ Mike Sandle of UW-River Falls.
Senior Ben Sathre placed fifth in the 5,000 (14:25.41).
North Central (Ill.) took first with 48 followed by UW-Eau Claire (37), UW-Oshkosh (32), UW-Stout (28) and UST and UW-LaCrosse (27 each).
"It's just awesome having my twin brother here, my girlfriend. my family," Hutton said. "My teammates are the best group of guys to be around. A bunch of them drove down. I love the school, you guys are awesome."
Hutton won the Tommie men's 11th individual NCAA track and field crown and first in 18 seasons. The previous 10 titles were all won in field events.
The Tommie women tied for 20th with five team points recorded Friday with a fourth in the distance-medley relay.
Click here to view a post-meet interview with Hutton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39xrNkIOY1M&feature=youtu.be
Click here to see final results:
