MEDFORD - Tufts junior Mitchell Black, who won the NCAA title in the 800 meters to cap an outstanding indoor season, was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III National Track Athlete of the Year on Thursday.
Following the 2015 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the USTFCCCA announced the 2015 class of NCAA Division III National Athletes of the Year, as voted on by the coaches. Black was one of four men and women honored.
At the NCAA Championships, Black won the national title at 800 meters by more than a second over Lebanon Valley's Michael Harnish and by more than two seconds over the rest of the field in 1:51.94.
During the regular season, Black ran 1:49.16 at the Valentine Invitational to move up to No. 4 on the all-time Division III indoor performers list in the event. He is one of just seven men in the history of Division III indoor track to have gone sub-1:50. He also won New England Division III Championships titles at 1000 and in the 4×800 relay.
After just over an hour of rest following the NCAA 800, Black was joined by freshman Andrew DiMaiti and juniors Alex Kasemir and Francis Goins for the 4x400 meter relay. The quartet clocked a time of 3:18.80 to grab the eighth and final All-America spot. The group entered the meet as the #8 seed after recording a 3:15.34 time, converted to 3:18.47, at BU on February 27.
Prior to the NCAA meet, Black earned the USTFCCCA's New England Track Athlete of the Year honor.
His 800 qualifying time was the fastest time in Division III since Ben Scheetz of Amherst set the DIII record of 1:47.43 at the NEICAAA Championships in 2012. Black's time also broke his own school record as well as earning him the NCAA Division III Men's National Athlete of the Week honor from the USTFCCCA. The 1:49.16 finish was also within the USA Track & Field indoor qualifying standard (1:49.50). He was the #1 seed in the event at the NCAA meet with a 1:50.72 converted time.
Black also ran Tufts' best times in the 600 meters (1:20.21) and the 1,000 meters (2:28.24) this season. His performance in the 1,000 won the New England DIII title. He also anchored the 4x800 relay which won the New England DIII race with a 7:57.32 time.
Black is now a seven-time All-American indoors and outdoors. He was third in the 800 indoors last season (1:52.17) and was the national runner-up outdoors last spring (1:51.30). He also now has three relay All-American honors indoors and another outdoor 800 All-American award. This is the fifth straight national championship for which Black has qualified since starting his Tufts career.
> 2015 USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Athletes of the Year
Materials from the USTFCCCA were used in this release
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