Leopards Place Ninth At NCAA Championships
Led by the efforts of senior Marcus Fortugno and junior Paul Turner, the University of La Verne men's track & field team tied for ninth place overall at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Claremont.
La Verne totaled 21 points at the NCAA Championships to secure a Top 10 finish for the second consecutive year. McMurry claimed the team title with 66 points.
Fortugno finished second in the 400 meters, running a season best of 47.16 in the final as he was edged by McMurry's Kevin Cunningham who earned first place with a time of 46.98. Sophomore Chancise Watkins posted a time of 48.20 to finish sixth overall in the final.
As a result, both Fortugno and Watkins earn All-America honors in the 400. For Fortugno, it marks his fourth time in his career he earns All-America accolades. He also finished ninth overall in the 200 meters with a time of 21.47.
Fortugno concludes his career as one of the most decorated athletes in Leopard track & field history. In addition to being a four-time All-America, he was a two-time Division III West Region Track Athlete of the Year (2011, 2012) and the 2012 SCIAC Track Athlete of the Year.
Turner leaped 49-7 3/4 in the triple jump to place third overall in that event. In the process, he earned All-America honors for the second time during the championships after placing fifth in the long jump on Thursday. Turner also is a four-time All-American, placing in the top five of both horizontal jumping events for the second year in a row.
