July 1, 2009

Seamas McGuire figured his last meet of the season would be the NCAA East Regional in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was wrong. While the rest of his Lafayette College track and field teammates headed home for the summer, McGuire stayed on campus well after classes had ended.

McGuire wasn't there to take classes or work at school for the summer, he had qualified for the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, held in June from the 10th to the 13th as the lone representative for the Lafayette Leopards.

``It was the moment that I've always waiting for,'' said McGuire. ``Being the guy from the school that nobody had ever heard of warming up next to the elite level guys who have shots at the Olympics.''

After winning the javelin in the Patriot League Championship, McGuire placed sixth in the NCAA East Regional. The cutoff for the NCAA Championship Meet was the top five places in each regional and a select number of at-large qualifiers. Because one of the throwers in the top five in the east injured himself in preparation for the championship meet, McGuire took his place and became the first Lafayette man in 30 years to qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet. He finished 21st overall out of 26 throwers with a heave of 205-8.

For the complete article by John S. Condakes of the Weston (Conn.) Town Crier click here