Peter Girardi Captures NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in 400-Meter Hurdles; Arabagian is All-American in 5k
FINAL RESULTS
LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Empire8 men's track and field athletes wrapped up its appearance at the 2018 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. And was done in style as St. John Fisher senior Peter Girardi claimed the National Championship in the 400-meter hurdles event and senior Greg Arabagian of the Stevens Institute of Technology men's track & field team took 8th in the 5,000-meters.
Girardi kicked off day three with a sixth place overall finish in the 110-meter hurdles. The senior's 14.43 second time earned the Cicero native his fifth career All-American finish.
However, Girardi's bread and butter race, the 400-meter hurdles would come next. As a junior Girardi was last year's runner-up in the event. The senior would cruise past the competition this year and cross the finish line in 50.50 seconds. His time not only won the National Title and crushed the school record, but was recorded as the fifth fastest time in Division III history. Girardi's time has also qualified him for the U.S. National Meet.
"That race was a testament to how fierce of a warrior Peter is," stated St. John Fisher College men's track and field head coach Mike Henchen. "After falling at the finish line in the 110-meter hurdle finals and getting pretty banged up, Pete reached down deep to come back in a little over an hour to capture that National Championship that he has been chasing for three years. A well fought and well deserved National Championship!"
The senior in his final race as a St. John Fisher College Cardinal gave the college its first National Championship in an outdoor track event. Girardi is now the third Cardinal to win an individual National Title, with his teammate Mark VanMarter bringing home the hardware in the long jump at the 2018 Indoor National Championship. Scott Harris Jr. won the individual National Title in golf in the 2008 season.
Arabagian became the Ducks' first male outdoor All-American in school history on Saturday.
Arabagian, who was the Ducks' only male qualifier for nationals, finished the 5k in 14:56.85, earning All-America status and receiving a team point. That one point was enough to vault Stevens over 65 other schools at the meet and finish 82nd nationally.
It was a 93-degree day in Wisconsin, and Arabagian started in 10th and drifted down to 13th midway through the race. He started to make his move in the final 800 meters and ran the final 400 meters in an incredible 1:01.
"Greg went out hunting for All-American status and ran out of his mind," said head coach Justin Wood. "He kicked like a madman in the final 200 meters to catch the runner who was in 8th for the final All-American spot."
Arabagian's All-American Award is the first in Stevens Outdoor Track & Field history, a program that was founded in 1909.
VanMarter and Utica College sophomore Ka'Sean Watlington competed in the triple jump.
Watlington placed 11th out of 20 competitors with a triple jump of 14.60 meters, while VanMarter wrapped up his career with a 13.93 meter jump.