Jock claims crown

DES MOINES, Iowa — UC Irvine senior Charles Jock capped a brilliant collegiate career by winning the 800 meters at the NCAA Championships at Drake University on Friday.

Jock won the final in 1 minute, 45.59 seconds as he led for virtually the entire race and burst away from nearest competitors Erik Sowinski of Iowa and Elijah Greer of Oregon in the final 100 meters. Sowinski finished second in 1:45.90 and Greer was third in 1:46.05.

Ryan Martin of UC Santa Barbara, who Jock dueled with for four years in Big West Conference races, was fourth in 1:46.20.

Jock becomes UCI’s first individual NCAA champion in 34 years since Steve Scott (1,500 and Mauricio Bardales (decathlon) won Division I titles in 1978.

Jock was NCAA runner-up a year ago when he led for 799 meters before Virginia’s Robby Andrews edged him at the finish by four-hundredths of a second.

“It feels like redemption,” Jock told media after the race Friday. “I’ve played that [2011] video so many times — it must be 20 times this week. I came into the race focused.”

Jock ends his Anteater career as a three-time All-American and three-time Big West Track Athlete of the Year.

He is scheduled to compete in the 800 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials beginning June 22 in Eugene, Ore., with the top three finishers qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics.

— From staff reports