Ending his Central College running career in style, Mark Fairley cemented his legacy by winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase national title in his final collegiate race at the 2018 NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships Saturday.

It is the 34th individual NCAA title in Central College history and the 15th by the men’s track and field program. Fairley entered the weekend with the best time in the country. Despite never leading until the final lap of the race, Fairley outkicked DePauw University’s Polo Burguete down the stretch by almost four seconds to win his first national championship in a time of nine minutes, 4.50 seconds. The latest in a string of talented Dutch distance runners, Fairley graduates with a trio of All-American performances.

An impressive effort in the pole vault could not overcome disappointment in the 110-meter hurdles as Central College sophomore Will Daniels finished third in the men’s decathlon at the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships Friday. The bronze medal finish of 6,793 points netted Daniels his second All-American award of 2018 after he was the heptathlon champion at the national indoor meet in March. Daniels was strong through the first three hurdles in the opening event Friday, but the fourth hurdle caused him to stumble and finish in 17.02 seconds, nearly two seconds slower than his seed time. Central finished with 16 team points.