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ROCHESTER, NY - Seniors
Mike Hardbarger (Parkersburg, WV/Ritchie County) and
Matt Joseph (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland), along with sophomore
Matt Marion (Lima, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) will represent RIT at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will take place from May 21-23 at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.
Hardbarger will be gunning for his third All-American honor in the 1,500-meter run. He was a 2008 Outdoor All-American in the 1,500-meters, finishing fifth in a school-record time of 3:49.36 and was a 2009 Indoor All-American in the mile, placing seventh. He qualified for the NCAA Championships with a strong time of 3:50.79 at the Bucknell Outdoor Challenge on April 11. Hardbarger holds the ninth-fastest time in all of Division III this season. His elimination event will take place on Thursday, May 21 at 4:15 p.m. If he advances to the final, that event will take place on Saturday, May 23 at 1:20 p.m.
Joseph comes into the NCAA Championships on a roll, having won the decathlon at the ECAC Championships last weekend and shattering a 29-year old school record, posting a score of 6,602 points. Joseph broke Mike Singleton's previous record of 6,538 points, set in 1980. His score of 6,602 points was an automatic qualifying score and is the seventh highest in the nation. Joseph also enjoyed five career personal bests (100-meters, long jump, shot put, javelin, 1,500-meters) during the decathlon competition.
It is Joseph's first appearance in the NCAA Track and Field Championships. However, Joseph was a three-time All-American as a diver for the RIT men's swimming and diving squad. Joseph earned honorable mention All-American accolades in the 3-meter event in 2006-07. In 2007-08, he was fifth in the 1-meter event and fourth in the 3-meter diving competition to garner All-American honors.
Joseph has a chance to be RIT's first All-American in two different platforms. RIT has had a handful of All-Americans in both cross-country and track and field. The decathlon begins on Thursday at 12 p.m. and continues on Friday at 12 p.m. He will compete in five different events each day.
Marion will be making his first appearance in the NCAA Championships. He qualified for the 400-meter hurdles with a strong time of 53.07 seconds last weekend at the ECAC Championships. That time is the 10th fastest in all of Division III this season. His elimination event will take place on Thursday, May 21 at 5 p.m. If he advances to the final, that event will take place on Saturday, May 23 at 3:15 p.m.
Last season,
Stephen Burns (Newmarket, Ontario/Cardinal Carter) became RIT's second national champion in the history of the men's track and field program, winning the javelin throw.