As the track & field team enters the off-season, Coach Rollie Geiger can hardly be disappointed. The six N.C. State athletes who traveled to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, IA. were not able to record any points for the team standings, but the Wolfpack is wrapping up a season in which the men finished third in the ACC, a conference that includes national powers Florida State and Clemson. Geiger said the Pack has nothing to hang their heads about.

“We were third in the conference, and that’s outstanding,” Geiger said. “You have to consider when you’re third in the ACC that Florida State just won their third consecutive NCAA title. Florida State is the best track & field team in the country, and Clemson is a top-15 program traditionally, so being third in the men’s Program is outstanding.”

Although none of State’s athletes were able to finish in the top eight in their respective events, several recorded personal records.

“Most of them ran at their personal best,” Geiger said. “They didn’t score, but having said that, they were pretty much on top of their game.”

Senior DeMiracle Washington, the only female to qualify for the NCAA Championships, is the N.C. State long jump record holder. Washington put up a personal best in the event of 20’6.25″ which was good enough for 18th overall.

“DeMiracle had her personal best in the long jump,” Geiger said. “almost 21 feet.”

Senior Tibor Vegh, who was competing in the steeplechase, also put up a personal record. He was able to shave six seconds off his preliminary time, completing the event in 8:46.50, which was good enough for 11th overall.

“I wanted to get [in the] top eight,” said Vegh. “I got 11th which is a great result, in my opinion, and I ran a personal best. So it’s a bittersweet national meet.”

Joining Vegh in the finals was senior Stephen Furst in the 5000-meter race. Furst was only seven-tenths of a second behind his personal record with a time of 13:49.87 in the finals. This time was good enough for him to grab 10th in the nation.

“Stephen Furst was right at his personal best,” Geiger said. “With 200 meters to go, I thought he was going to finish 4th, and he finished 10th.”

The only nonsenior athlete to qualify for the NCAA Championships was sophomore distance runner John Martinez. Martinez, who was competing in the steeplechase, ran in the preliminaries with a time of 8:58.94. The mark left Martinez at 16th overall and without a spot in the finals.

In an interesting set of circumstances, due to the high level of international athletes in the steeplechase including Vegh, Martinez was still given All-American honors.

“John didn’t final. I thought he had an opportunity to final, but he did make All-American,” Geiger said. “The top eight Americans in each event do make All-American, and because of the number of international athletes in the steeplechase, he still made All-American.”