Mark VanMarter Captures NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – The first day of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships brought something incredibly special to St. John Fisher College; an individual national championship. Senior Mark VanMarter claimed the first-ever national championship honor in St. John Fisher track and field history in the long jump event at the championship meet hosted by Birmingham-Southern College on Friday.
The senior started the day off jumping a 6.85 meter mark in the preliminary round. The jump would send VanMarter into the finals portion of the event, sitting in eighth place overall.
VanMarter headed into the finals and blew his competition out of the water. The Liverpool native jumped a monstrous 7.36 meters, a full 0.06 meters above the second place finisher to capture the national title. The jump also matched his best of the season that originally ranked the senior first in the nation and earned him All-American honors in the event.
The national championship award has only been claimed one other time in Fisher's history. Scott Harris Jr. took the individual award in men's golf in the 2008 season. Peter Girardi has placed as national runner-up twice in outdoor track and field.