College Relay Team Breaks Olympic Gold Medalist's Record
A UW-La Crosse relay team just shattered a 23-year-old record held by an Olympic gold medalist, running the fastest indoor 4x400 in school history. Despite the heartbreaking one-point loss for the team championship, three individual athletes took home national titles in a performance that rewrote the record books.
Four college runners just proved that some records are meant to be broken, even when they're held by Olympic champions.
The UW-La Crosse men's track team made history at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. Their 1,600-meter relay squad blazed through the final in 3:10.90, obliterating a school record that had stood since 2003.
That previous record belonged to a team that included Andrew Rock, who went on to win Olympic gold. The new time didn't just beat Rock's mark. It crushed it by nearly three seconds.
Collin Conzemius, Chase Doornink, Devin Williams, and Andrew Hackbarth ran the race of their lives. Their performance set a new NCAA Division III Championship meet record and became the fastest indoor 4x400 in program history.
The record-breaking relay capped off an incredible individual day for the Eagles. Conzemius won his first national title in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.76 seconds. Carter Pearson soared to victory in the triple jump, becoming the first Eagle since 2013 to claim that national crown with a leap of 49 feet, 3 inches.
The team's depth showed throughout the weekend. Distance runners Aidan Matthai and Cael Schoemann each earned second-place finishes in their events. Owen Clark and Jayden Zywicki added third-place medals in the 3,000-meter run and mile.
The Eagles finished as national runners-up with 74 points, falling just one point short of Rowan University's 75. The razor-thin margin ended their bid for a third straight indoor championship and what would have been their fifth consecutive national title across all seasons.
Why This Inspires
Breaking a record held by an Olympian takes more than talent. It takes belief that greatness isn't reserved for those who came before. These four runners showed up when it mattered most and ran faster than anyone in their program's history, proving that today's athletes can stand shoulder to shoulder with yesterday's legends.
The one-point loss stings, but these Eagles just set a standard that future teams will chase for decades to come.
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This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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