NCAA Track : Haley and Donovan Lead Arkansas to Another Title

OKLAHOMA CITY — Led by brilliant sophomore Roddie Haley, the first runner to break one minute in the 500-meter race, and distance runner Paul Donovan, the University of Arkansas men won a record-tying third consecutive title in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday.

Haley, 21, from Texarkana, Tex., broke the world indoor best in the 500 for the second consecutive night, clocking 59.82 seconds--the first sub-one minute time in history.

Friday night, Haley, the 1985 NCAA outdoor 400-meter champion, ran 1:00.69 in the heats.

Saturday night, he led all the way against a tough field, including Villanova’s Edwin Modibedi, who finished in 1:00.24.

“If he (Haley) has one great quality, it’s his competitive spirit,” Arkansas Coach John McDonnell said. “He keeps on breaking those records. He’s just a terrific athlete and a terrific competitor.”

Haley certainly doesn’t lack for confidence.

After his race Friday, he said: “I think I can win it (the final). I always think I can win.”

He added: “I don’t take the 500 seriously, but I’m beginning to like it. I think I can run a minute even. I’ll try to do it tomorrow (Saturday).”

It was the third time Haley has run the 500 this year--and the third time he smashed the world indoor best.

“I still had some more left,” he said. “I didn’t use it all.”

Then he said: “Coming into the last turn, another runner was coming on my right shoulder. When I came into the stretch, I put the hammer down. I was thinking, ‘Run like a madman.’ ”

Buoyed by Haley’s remarkable performance, and victories by Donovan in the 3,000-meter race and the 3,200-meter relay team, with a startling comeback by Donovan on the final leg, the Razorbacks amassed 49 points in the two-day meet at The Myriad.

Arkansas is the second school to win three straight NCAA indoor titles, joining Texas El Paso, which did it twice, from 1974-76 and 1980-82.

Villanova was second with 22 points, and Georgetown and Boston University tied for third with 20 apiece.

Alabama was a surprise winner of the women’s championship, gaining its first indoor crown with a total of 41 points.

Favored Texas finished second with 31, and USC and Tennessee tied for third with 26 each.

Donovan, a senior who won the NCAA indoor 1,500-meter title last year, took the 3,000 this year in 7:54.60, after coming from third place around the final turn to give the Razorbacks the victory in the 3,200-meter relay in 7:20.72.

In that closing drive in the relay, Donovan passed Georgetown’s Miles Irish and Notre Dame’s Jim Tyler.

Donovan’s victory in the 3,000 clinched the title for Arkansas.

The Razorbacks’ other points, based on a 10-8-6-4-2-1 scoring system, came from Doug Consiglio’s second-place finish in the 1,000 meters, Gary Taylor’s third in mile, Bill Jasinski’s tie for third in the high jump and Marty Kobza’s fifth in the shot put.