GENEVA, Ohio - Haverford College junior Jamie Moreland sprinted to a sixth place finish in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Division III Track & Field championships on Saturday. At the SPIRE Institute in Northeast Ohio, Moreland earned his second career track & field All-America certificate with a strong performance in 3:48.64.
Moreland, also an All-American in the indoor mile during the shortened 2020 season, impressed in the prelims, earning the top time in the event and winning the first of two heats.
In Saturday's race, a talented pack of athletes looked content to feel out each other's race strategy before the bell lap moved the frontrunners into late movement. Moreland was running towards the back of the pack during those initial laps, but made his patented kick down the home stretch, briefly appearing to be in line for yet another last-minute run to victory before Sam Verkerke gained separation with a blazing fast 55.98 in the final 400 meters. Moreland gained five slots in that electrifying final 400 meter push.
Moreland joins an illustrious list of Haverford College All-Americans in the outdoor 1,500m, becoming the 29th in program history in the event.
Kevin Foley '83 (1980-83), Liam O'Neill '86 (1986), Matt Leighninger '92 (1990-92), Aaron Curry '94 (1993-94), Karl Paranya '97 (1995-97), Aryn Davis '97 (1997), Ntobeko Ntusi (1998), Jason Bernstein '01 (1999, 2001), Bobby Cannon '08 (2005), Sam Dalke '07 (2006), Ivo Milic-Strkalj '13 (2010), Tim Schoch '12 (2011-12), Eric Arnold '12 (2011), Jordan Schilit '13 (2003), Charlie Marquardt '16 (2015, 16), and Greg Morgan (2018) have reached All-America status in the event. Foley is a three-time national champion, while also setting the national record (3:44.50) in 1982. Karl Paranya also nabbed individual titles in the national meet in 1996 and 1997.
Verkerke was the winner of the event by almost two seconds, with Jacob Ridderhoff of Washington (Mo.) and Scott Sikorski of Rochester rounding out the top three finishers.
Moreland's initial seed time (3:47.10), set at the Swarthmore Final Qualifier, was the top in the Metro Region this season, a grouping which also includes national No. 1 Rowan, as well as the top in the Centennial Conference. The mark is the 10th fastest in Haverford program history as Moreland will return to campus this fall for his senior cross country season with an eye towards even greater heights for the Los Angeles product in 2022-23.