NEW ORLEANS – Junior Charlie Marquardt of the Haverford College men's outdoor track and field team has been named the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) Division III National Athlete of the Week after his performance in the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet (May 11).
In the 1,500m event at the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet, Marquardt finished as the highest Division III runner in the field (third place) and set a personal record (3:43.84). His time is the best in Division III by two seconds and the eighth fastest all-time. Marquardt, who has the top two times in Division III, will be the No. 1 seed in the 1,500m at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Championships this weekend.
This is the second time that the junior has received the national weekly honor. He was named the National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season (Feb. 3) after winning the 3,000m event at the Tufts Stampede with a conference record time (8:13.36).
Marquardt has had an outstanding 2014-15 season. In the outdoor season, he became the fifth person and third Ford in conference meet history to win both the 800m and 1,500m races, leading to his Centennial Conference Outstanding Track Performer Award. The junior was also named the Centennial Conference Outstanding Track Performer after winning the 800m, mile and 4x800 relay events at the indoor conference meet. During the cross country season, he won three individual titles including the Centennial Conference Championship and Mideast Regional. He was also named Centennial Conference Runner of the Week twice and the conference Runner of the Year. Marquardt has won seven conference Runner of the Week accolades this year.
Haverford will have three runners with seniors Joel Christian (10,000m), David Roza (3,000m steeplechase) and Marquardt (1,500m) participating in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Championships hosted by St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y this weekend (May 21-23). The Fords have finished in the top ten each of the past two seasons at the national meet with a tie for sixth place in 2014 and eighth place tally in 2013.