Terre Haute, Ind. – March 14, 2009 – Steve Headley was crowned the NCAA Division III Indoor Track Champion in the 55 meter dash after he ran away with the title with a blazing time of 6.24. The 6.24 was the fastest time in Division III this year and Headley re-established his Springfield College school record in the dash.

Headley, who bested his school record mark of 6.26, becomes the second national champion in indoor track and field in Springfield College history. In 1999, Damian Larkins became the first athlete in Springfield indoor track and field history to be a national champion after he won the shot put. The Pride has had two national champions in outdoor track and field as Harold Cramer won the hammer in 1973 and Nick Guerrette won the javelin in 1999. Headley is the first national champion at Springfield College in any” individual sport since diving great Mike Shaw won both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competitions in 2005.

The 2009 New England Men’s Track Athlete of the Year was seeded first in the race after he set a new Sports & Rec Center record with his time of 6.28 yesterday. The local product from Wilbraham, Mass. didn’t disappoint in the finals as he sprinted to a time of 6.24, winning by .06 seconds over Delannie Spriggs of Salisbury University who clocked in at 6.30.

Headley finishes the indoor track and field season having not lost a race in the 55 meter dash.

As a team, thanks entirely to Headley’s 10 points, Springfield finished in a tie for 17th. Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Wisconsin-La Crosse tied for the national title with 32 points apiece.

Photos compliments of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology