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(Lock
Haven, Pa.) - Lock
Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field claimed its second NCAA
Division II National Champion this afternoon as junior Nick Slotterback
(Lewisburg/Lewisburg) captured gold in the javelin at the 2003 NCAA
Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships being hosted by Southern
Illinois University-Edwardsville. The
Bald Eagles have crowned a national champion on one other occasion, as Matt
Sauls won the 800 meter title in 1999.
It was Slotterback’s third throw of the day that catapulted him to the
national title as he recorded a distance of 218’6” for the win.
Slotterback had entered competition as the second seed after throwing
220’5” to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title two
weekends ago. He captured the win
by just four inches, beating out the favored Mika Alahaivala of Missouri
Southern who threw a 218’2” for second place.
Slotterback is the second-straight Division II javelin champion from the
PSAC (2002 – Mark Bridge, IUP) and was one of four student-athletes from the
conference to earn All-America honors in the event, joined by Shippensburg’s
John Pacovsky (4th), East Stroudsburg’s Barry Krammes (7th)
and Slippery Rock’s Tony Carr (8th).
The Haven’s Fieldon Daubert (Annville/Annville-Cleona) placed
11th in the field, checking in with a throw of 198’11”.
Slotterback is a three-time NCAA provisional qualifier and was an
All-American in the javelin last season, placing third overall with a best
throw of 211’1”. He broke the nine-year old existing LHU school record this
season with his conference-winning performance.
The final day of NCAA championship competition for
Lock Haven athletes still includes the finals of the women’s 400-meter dash
and the men’s 4x400 meter relay.
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Nick Slotterback became LHU's second
NCAA Division II Champion with today's victory in the javelin. |
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