National champions don’t come around that often, at least not before the arrival of Ron Mann as track and field coach at the University of Louisville in 2004. Mann’s enthusiasm for the sport is contagious, as is his love for life in general.
- Matt Hughes, on the men’s team, recently raced to a personal best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to win the national championship a second year in a row in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines.
- On the women’s side, D’Ana McCarty, won the NCAA indoor weight throw for a second straight year, with a toss of almost 75 meters (or 246 feet).
If you’re keeping track, that’s six NCAA titles, including the basketball championships in 1980 and 1986.