McEVILA WINS NCAA DIVISION III 35-POUND WEIGHT THROW

LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates College junior Billy McEvila of Hartford, Conn., has won the 35-pound weight throw at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.

McEvila won the event with a lifetime best throw of 58 feet, 10 inches. He entered the meet as the fifth-seeded thrower. Joining McEvila on the All-America team is sophomore Lucas Adams of Nottingham, N.H., who placed sixth overall with a throw of 56 feet, 1 3/4 inches.

McEvila is the second indoor track and field national champion in Bates history, joining Matthew Schecter 89, who won the high jump in 1989. McEvila and Adams are the sixth and seventh All-Americans in the 35-pound weight throw under throwing coach Joe Woodhead and the third and fourth in the last two seasons. This marks the fourth straight year that a New England athlete has won the 35-pound weight throw.

In action on March 14, sophomore Matt Twiest of Albuquerque, N.M., placed sixth in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:55.85. It was Twiest's second All-America performance this year. He placed ninth at the NCAA Division III cross country championships in the fall.

Sophomore Kevin Stroman of New York, N.Y., competing in his first national championship, placed ninth in the triple jump with a distance of 43 feet, 5 1/4 inches.

The Bobcats finished the meet in eighth place overall, marking their best performance ever. In 1997, the Bobcats finished 10th at the NCAA championships. The only Bates team to finish the season with as high a ranking was the 1996 women's soccer team which reached the Division III tournament regional finals.

Click here for full result from the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships

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