WALNUT, Calif. ? Alaska Anchorage sophomore David Registe made history Thursday as he became the first Seawolf track & field athlete to claim a national title by winning the men's long jump competition on the opening day of the 2008 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships here at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. Sac College.
The Palmer product recorded a winning leap of 24-8 1/2, edging runner-up Joe Kindred of St. Augustine's by two and three-quarter inches. UAA's record holder in the long jump, Registe , who entered the national championships with the nation's third-best mark in the event (24-10 ?), also recorded the second-best leap of today's event (24-7).
The two-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion in the long jump, Registe earned All-America honors for his performance, becoming the first UAA men's athlete to earn the distinction in track & field. The former Colony High standout is the third Seawolf athlete in as many years to receive All-America honors, joining Mary Pearce (2007, 2006) and Mandy Kaempf (2006).
Registe, who placed 12th in the long jump at NCAAs in 2007, is the third men's athlete in GNAC history to win a national title in outdoor track & field, as he joins Seattle Pacific's Chris Randolph (decathlon, 2005 and 2006) and Western Oregon's Pro Escobedo (hammer, 2003) on that prestigious list.
The individual NCAA title is the first by any UAA athlete since Mandy Kaempf swept the women's Nordic events at Nationals in 2005.
Registe's winning effort also scored 10 points for UAA's men in the overall team standings.
The good news for UAA did not stop with Registe's title, as juniors David Kiplagat (Kapsabet, Kenya) and Elizabeth Chepkosgei (Kapsabet, Kenya) each advanced to the finals in their respective events.
For the first time in three NCAA appearances Kiplagat will move on to the finals by placing fourth in the prelims of the men's 3000 steeplechase with a time of 9:19.51. The Kenyan was unable to advance out of the preliminary round in the 5000 meters in both 2007 and 2006.
Chepkosgei also advanced to finals of the women's 3000-meter run in her NCAA debut by placing sixth in the prelims with a time of 10:03.19. The 2008 GNAC champion in the 3000, Chepkosgei is also competing in the women's 5000 at Nationals.
In the finals of the women's 10,000 meters junior Laura Carr ran to a 10-place effort with a time of 36:14.98.
The first day of the championships were delayed by nearly three hours due to a strong storm in the area that produced heavy rain and lightning.
The NCAA Championships continue Friday as Chepkosgei will compete in the finals of the 3000, while sophomore Kim Brady (Odessa, Texas) will make her national championship debut in the women's triple jump. Carr and Chepkosgei will also run in the prelims of the women's 5000.
Kiplagat won't compete again until the finals of the men's steeplechase on Saturday.
