Really, was there any other way for Marcia Taddy to end her career?
The most decorated student-athlete in UW-Platteville history won both the 800- and 1,500-meter runs at the NCAA Division III national championships Saturday at UW-Oshkosh.
"It was a great way to go out" she said. "It was just great."
Thanks to Taddy's two titles and teammate Jessica Scott's fifth-place finish in the 800, the Pioneers finished seventh as a team. UW-River Falls and Illinois Wesleyan tied for the national championship with 35 points apiece, while the Pioneers scored 24.
Two days after winning his second straight 10,000-meter run, Tyler Sigl placed third in the 5,000-meter race Saturday. He earned his 13th all-American award in track and cross country and finished his stellar four-year career with three track and one cross country national championships.
His first- and third-place finishes, combined with Scott Howard's seventh-place finish in the pole vault and Cam Klein's eighth-place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, gave the Pioneers 19 points, good for 13th place. McMurray won the men's title with 35 points.
Taddy jumped out to a big lead early and won the 1,500-meter run in 4:23.36, the best time in DIII this season. Tufts' Catherine Beck was second in 4:24.97.
"I knew if I went out in the first 800 meters in a 2:20 time, it would be hard for people to keep up," she said. "I did that, and just kind of went from there." Despite the relative ease of victory, Taddy was concerned because of a sore foot.
"It's not the foot I had surgery on, so to be honest, I was a little hesitant to run the 800," she said.
Taddy did run the 800 about 90 minutes after finishing the 1,500 and had to hold off a talented field, including her teammate Jessica Scott, who won the national indoor 800.
"It was a good race," Taddy said. "I was passed with about 150 meters to go (by Haverford's Annick Lamar) and for a split second, well, I was surprised. I had to move out of lane one because I didn't want to get boxed in. I had to make my move right then."
Taddy re-took the lead the lead and held it for good. She won in 2:08.23, breaking her own school record she set while winning the Kansas Relays. The College of New Jersey's Stephanie Harrick was second in 2:08.43, Lamar third at 2:09.27, Williamette's Jordyn Smith fourth in 2:09.43 and Scott fifth in 2:10.43.
Scott, a junior from Kiel, earned her first outdoor all-America award after already winning three indoors, including a pair of national championships.
Sigl finished his 5,000-meter run in 14:37.69, good for third place nationally. Hamilton's Peter Kosgei won the title in 14:32.57, and St. John's Chris Erichsen was third in 14:35.34. Not only did Sigl win 13 all-American meets, but the remarkably consistent runner did so in 10 different meets. The senior from Seymour was an all-American all four years in cross country, three times in indoor track and three times in outdoor track.
Also Saturday, Kyle Stangel was 12th in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:08.87.
Taddy, had a large following of teammates, family, friends and people from her hometown of Two Rivers, about an hour away from Oshkosh, to see her remarkable career conclude so positively.
"It's kind of crazy," she said, reflecting on her four years. "People are really excited to get one all-American honor--and my hat's off to them because I know how hard it is--but to be able to finish my career like this means a lot."
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