Over the weekend, the SUNY Brockport men’s track and field team sent two athletes, sophomore Jacob Miller and junior Jonathan Zavala to Virginia Beach to compete in the NCAA Division-III Track and Field Championships. Both athletes earned qualification in the All-Atlantic regional championships last weekend. 

On Friday, Zavala finished 11th in the men’s mile preliminary with a time of 4 minutes, 12.19 seconds. It was good enough to qualify for the final race on Saturday, where he would save his best performance of the season for his biggest race. Zavala set a personal best with a 4 minute, 6.09 second time, placing third and earning First Team All-American honors. The time was a program record and the honor was also the first of its kind for Brockport in the men’s mile. 

“It’s an amazing feeling. I came in as an underdog but knew I had the better last 200 meters in the entire field so I was able to focus on that for the final,” Zavala said. 

Zavala’s honor is also the first non-relay track All-American award for the Golden Eagles since 1986. 

“I cried for a bit after finishing, just a great feeling,” Zavala said.   

As for Miller, he ran in the 400-meter event Friday night, placing 11th with a time of 48.32 seconds. Though it was not enough to qualify for the final race on Saturday, the time earned Miller a Second Team All-American honor and capped an impressive sophomore season for him.  

These races ended a strong indoor season for the SUNY Brockport men’s track and field team. From here they will prepare for the outdoor season which opens with the Geneseo Early Season Invitational hosted by SUNY Geneseo on March 29.