RESULTS

BIRMINGHAM, AL.- The late and great baseball hall of fame catcher Yogi Berra would have appreciated the final race of Calvin senior Sophie Bull's indoor track and field career on Saturday. Known for his famous phrase "It ain't over till it's over," Berra would have watched his phrase play out to perfection as Bull captured an improbable national title in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Seeded 11^th in Saturday's race, Bull (Denver, Co./Denver Christian HS) moved into the top eight early in the race and held a position in the pack until the final third of the race as she began to make a move. With 600 meters left, Bull moved into third and began slowly reeling in Morgan Eigel of Williams for second place. With 150 meters left, Bull began to rapidly close the gap on Eigel and caught her at the final 60 meter turn. Bull blew past Eigel but still had one runner ahead – Kate Tuttle – also of Williams who had grabbed the lead much earlier in the race and broken away. Undaunted, Bull furiously pumped for the finish line, unbeknownst to Tuttle. With five meters left, Tuttle had slowed with Bull roaring from behind. In her final two steps, Bull blew past Tuttle to cross the line first, just five-hundreths of a second in first for the incredible comeback national championship win.

"An incredible race," said Calvin head track and field coach Adam Haldorson. "Sophie has a never give-up attitude and she has a lot of talent and speed. You mix that together with the opening she had for the win at the end and you get a spectacular finish. That race will be replayed for many years to come."

The national title was the second of Bull's track and field career and her first indoors. She also captured the national title in the 3,000 meter steeplechase last May at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Bull's race put the capper on a magnificent Calvin track and field day as graduate student Sydney Radigan (Portland, Ore./St. Stephen's Academy) captured a national title of her own while nearly capturing a second later in the meet.

Radigan's national title took place in the 60 meter dash as she also came from behind to win in 7.52. Radigan sat in fifth place with roughly 20 meters left in the sprint but closed with a furious burst to blow past the rest of the field and win the race by two-hundreths of a second over Lucia Garcia-Beltran of the College of New Jersey with Isabel Peterson of Wisconsin-Platteville third (7.55).

Radigan ran again six hours later in the 200 meter finals. She entered the race as the top seed and held the lead until the final meter of the race as Peterson of Platteville edged her at the wire for the win in a NCAA III record time of 23.78 with Radigan a close second in 23.80. The national title and national runner-up berth by Radigan marked the first top-eight (1^st Team All-America) performances of her track and field career and produced 18 points for the Knights in the team standings.

The national titles by Radigan and Bull marked Calvin's first indoor national crowns in women's track and field since Rachel Boerner captured the 400 meter title at the 2011 NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships. It also marked the first time since 2010 that the Calvin women's track and field team has produced two individual national championship performances at a national meet with Boerner winning the 400 meters and 400 meter hurdles at the 2010 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

"Sydney had a tremendous day," said Haldorson. "I know she was hoping to win both races but to come away with 18 points with first place and second place finishes is pretty amazing. In the 60 meters this morning, she closed with an incredible burst for the win. In the 200 meters, she probably ran a little out of gas on a long day but credit (Isabel) Peterson for doing the same and winning the second matchup. Sydney has been to several national meets but this was the first time she has been in the top eight individually and do it in such emphatic fashion is pretty special."

Freshman Dasha Mason (Graham, WA/Graham Kapowsin) also competed for Calvin in the women's triple jump on Saturday and placed 18^th with a leap of 36-2.

"Getting to nationals as a freshman is a big accomplishment for Dasha and we are very proud of her," said Haldorson. "She has had a great first indoor season of track and field and will build off this experience. She has a bright future ahead of her."

Collectively, Calvin finished sixth in the final team standings with 28 points for its highest team finish at the NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Calvin's previous best indoor team national finish was eighth in 2011.

Haldorson remarked that the sixth place team finish came just four years after the Knights had placed fourth at the MIAA Indoor Championships.

"A lot of growth over the last four years but I credit the investment by the student-athletes in this program," said Haldorson. "They bought into a team culture when I came on board four years ago and began to support each other. We had over 35 athletes drive down this weekend on their own to cheer for their teammates which is huge. Sydney and Sophie had incredible performances but they would be the first to tell you that they would not be here today without their teammates pushing them and encouraging them in practice."