RESULTS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 14, 2015) – Friday, Colorado State University-Pueblo men's track and field sophomore Derrick Williams (Columbia Falls, Mont.) helped guide the Men's Distance Medley Team to a runner-up finish at the 2015 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships and Saturday placed second in the 3000 meter run to earn his second All-American honor of the weekend.
Williams crossed the finish line at 8:03.14, which would have been a new meet record, but Kevin Batt of Adams State University broke his own record by posting a time of 8:01.42.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference claimed the top three spots in the event, as Williams finished just .17 ticks faster than Marty Andrie from Colorado School of Mines.
The CSU-Pueblo men's track and field team returned as an intercollegiate program in 2014-15 after a 22-year hiatus. The Pack finished the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships tied for 16th (16 points) of 51 teams to score a point. The team finish is one of the best in program history at a national meet (NCAA and NAIA). CSU-Pueblo has just two top 10 finishes all-time – seventh in 1967 and 10th in 1980.
Friday, with a time of 9:41.82, the distance medley team finished second to Adams State, who crossed the finish line just .03 seconds faster (9:41.79) for a new indoor meet record.
Crowned All-Americans at the podium were junior Dante Carter (Las Vegas, Nev.), freshman Dueth Vassall (Denver, Colo.), freshman Devundrick Walker (Aurora, Colo.) and Williams.
The ThunderWolves now have 39 All-Americans in men's track and field (indoor and outdoor), while the awards are the first since 1992. Only seven of the previous 34 All-Americans were crowned at the NCAA Division II level. Williams is now the sixth athlete in program history to earn two All-American honors at the same nationals.
Freshman Rachael Lopez (Fort Lupton, Colo.) competed in her first NCAA Championships Friday and finished fourth (of six) in her heat and 15th of 18 participants in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:13.79.
The Pack men's and women's track and field teams now turn their attention to the outdoor season, which is set to begin March 20-21 with the CSU-Pueblo Open at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.
-30-
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
