USTFCCCA Release
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Three Saint John's University student-athletes were named to the 2010 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III Men's All-Academic Track and Field team Wednesday, July 28: senior Patrick Lowder (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) and juniors Griffin Hayes (Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) and Andrew Norman (Maple Grove, Minn.).
To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and have met the NCAA Division III Indoor or Outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event. All three Saint John's student-athletes set their marks in the last meet of the season.
An economics major with a 3.36 GPA, Lowder came on strong in the outdoor season after sitting out indoors with an injury. He finished finish third at the MIAC Outdoor Championships and claimed All-MIAC honors in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. A week later at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Qualifier, Lowder ran to a new season-best time of 9:23.53 and provisionally qualified for the NCAA outdoor championships.
Hayes completed the tail end of a Johnnie sweep of the discus throw at the MIAC meet, finishing third and earning All-MIAC honors with a throw of 47.26 meters. All three Johnnies provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships. Hayes went on to throw a season-best in the same event the following weekend at La Crosse, heaving it 47.88 meters. Hayes qualified for the NCAA meet in 2009, but failed to make the finals. He is an accounting major with a 3.33 GPA.
A communication major with a 3.80 GPA, Norman started the season strong with a second-place finish in the pole vault at the MIAC Indoor Championships, but faltered at the outdoor meet in Winona, failing to make his opening height. Norman was looking to finish his season strong going into the UW-La Crosse Qualifier, and he did just that, setting a new personal best and NCAA provisional mark of 4.75 meters to finish fifth.
Saint John's finished sixth at the 2010 MIAC Outdoor Championships. Despite their provisionally-qualifying marks, none of the Johnnies advanced to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.
