Most Outstanding Performers of Division III Outdoor Championships Announced

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Most Outstanding Performers of Division III Outdoor Championships Announced
May 29, 2014

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Tuesday the Division III student-athletes who earned Outstanding Performer of the Meet honors for their accomplishments at the 2014 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships held in Delaware, Ohio, on May 22-24.

UW-Oshkosh’s Christy Cazzola and Salisbury's Luke Campbell earned the women's and men's top-scoring track honors, while St. Lawrence's Divya Biswal and Mount Union's Sean Donnelly claimed the women's and men's top-scoring field honors.

Each year the USTFCCCA honors the Outstanding Performers of the Meet at both of the national Division III championships. Winners are determined using a formula that takes into account team points scored plus meet records (five additional points), Division III season-bests (three points) and facility records (one point).


Christy Cazzola
UW-Oshkosh

Cazzola, a senior from Kaukauna, Wis., completed an historic career with fireworks as she claimed the 1500 meters, 800 meters and 5000 meters national crowns all within the span of approximately three hours for the second year in a row.

Her performance at 800 meters in 2:05.23 was good not only for the win, but also the meet record, the 2014 Division III lead and the facility record at Ohio Wesleyan. She claimed the 5000 in a facility-record 16:29.96 and won at 1500 meters for the fourth consecutive season in 4:32.51.

She became just the fifth woman in Division III history to sweep an event over the course of four seasons – and the first to do so at 1500 meters – and her career total of eight outdoor individual crowns was just one off the all-time record of nine set by Rhondale Jones of Lincoln (Pa.).

All told, she accumulated 40 points (30 team points plus 10 bonus points) for award consideration.


Luke Campbell
Salisbury

Campbell, a sophomore from Brunswick, Md., not only defended his national crown in the 110-meter hurdles, but he also added another hurdles title to his trophy case with a win in the 400-meter hurdles.

His win in the 110 hurdles in 13.82 – a facility record and a 2014 season's best in DIII – moved him up to No. 3 on the all-time, all-conditions performers list in Division III history. He also moved up to No. 4 all-time in the 400 hurdles with a win in 50.36 as he defeated two other all-time top-10 performers in David Voland of Augustana (Ill.) (50.88) and Tyler Metille of Mount Union (51.03).

The stadium records and the previous top DIII times of 2014 in both events fell to Campbell for a total of 28 points for award consideration (20 team points plus eight bonus points).


Sean Donnelly
Mount Union

Donnelly, a junior from Willoughby, Ohio, was the top men's field performer with wins in both the shot put and hammer throw, along with a seventh-place showing in the discus, to lead his Mount Union men to their first-ever team title.

His winning mark of 216-7 (66.01m) in the hammer throw was good enough to set the facility record, the 2014 DIII lead and move him up to No. 3 on the all-time performers list. All while having to take down former all-time No. 3 man Tyler Williams of Widener.

Though he had only two legal throws in the shot put, both would have been far enough to claim the Division III title in the event. He ultimately won with a fifth-attempt 58-6½ (17.84m) heave. He also finished seventh in the discus as the final qualifier into the field with a personal-best 170-9 (52.04m) throw.

For award consideration, he scored 26 points (22 team points plus four bonus points).


Divya Biswal
St. Lawrence

Biswal, a junior from Ottawa, Ontario, was the top women's field performer with a win in the triple jump and a fourth-place finish in the long jump.

After UW-La Crosse's Bria Halama took the lead on her fifth attempt by a single centimeter over Biswal, Biswal responded with a sixth and final jump that left no doubt as to who the champion would be. She leapt a 2014 Division III-best 40-11 (12.47m) to defeat Halama by more than eight inches.

In the long jump she managed just one legal attempt, but her mark of 18-10 (5.74m) stood for a fourth-place finish. For award consideration, she scored 18 points (15 team points plus three bonus points).




U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
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Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
Communications Assistant
kyle@ustfccca.org
(504) 599-8905