Canton’s Mike LeDuc of Connecticut College nears the finish line of the NCAA Div. 3 cross country championship Saturday. (Carter Cloyd photo)
HANOVER, Ind. – Canton’s Mike LeDuc won his second NCAA Division III national championship Saturday.
LeDuc, a senior who races for Connecticut College in New London, won the NCAA Division III cross country championship, pulling away from John Crain of North Central (Illinois) College in the final 400 meters to win the 8 kilometer race (4.97 miles) in 24:29.3.
It was the second fastest time ever on the Hanover College course and LeDuc’s time was nearly a full minute faster than his winning time of 25:22 at a Pre-Nationals race on this same course in October.
LeDuc adds a cross country national championship to his NCAA Division III victory in the 3,000 meter steeplechase last spring.
LeDuc ran in the lead pack in the early portion of the race. As the runners approached the outer loop just before the three-mile mark, he closed the gap on Crain. The two runners ran virtually neck and neck for the remainder of the race.
Canton’s Mike LeDuc of Connecticut College leads the NCAA Div. 3 cross country national championship race. (Carter Cloyd photo)
With about 350 meters left in the race, LeDuc put his head down and extended the lead to four seconds over Crain, who couldn’t respond. He finished four seconds back in 24:33.
“I just tried to follow the game plan that (Conn College) coach (Jim) Butler and I put together,” LeDuc said. “We were just trying to remain comfortable and calm in first three miles. I was a little worried when two runners were running five seconds in front of me. I moved forward at the 5K mark and ran with Crain for last third of the race or so.
“I just had to be as tough as I could and break Crain before the finish line and I did,” LeDuc said.
“I was surprised at how fast the pace was early in the race. But I guess it’s to be expected at a national championship,” he said. “My thought process was that I had to win the race or show myself that I was physically incapable of doing so.”
It was the fifth straight win for LeDuc, who captured the Division III New England regional a week ago at the University of Southern Maine, rallying to pass Williams’ Colin Cotton in the final 150 meters to win the title.
Before that, LeDuc won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship and Connecticut College’s own invitational meet. He is the first Connecticut College runner to win a regional title and a national championship.
“That’s quite a special season,” Butler said.
LeDuc, a botany major, was recognized by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association of American (USTFCCCA) as a Division III regional athlete of the year earlier this week.
“Mike set his goals high, worked incredibly hard, and then went out and accomplished what he set out to do,” Butler said. “Mike’s trained all year to put himself in the position to run well in the last few races of the year. He’s in great and mental physical shape to compete.
LeDuc believes that the confidence that Butler and assistant coach Jeff Morin have instilled in him has been one of the underlying factors in his success this fall.
“Confidence plays a large role in my performance out there,” LeDuc said. “The difference this season has been an extra level of confidence that I possess. The NCAA championship is the one I’ve been envisioning since the summer.”
LeDuc is a six-time NCAA Division III All-American performer with the Camels. He has earned All-American status in the 3,000 steeplechase three times including winning the NCAA Division III title last spring. He finished third at the NCAA Division III indoor track championship meet in the 5,000 meters in February 2013 and was 13th at the NCAA Division III cross country championship meet a year ago.
In the team race, St. Olaf (Minnesota) won its first national championship by placing two runners in the top 10 and having four runners earn All-American status. St. Olaf nipped North Central, Illinois for the championship.
LeDuc graduated from Canton in 2010 where he was an All-State athlete in cross country and track and field.
NCAA Division 3 men’s cross country national championship race
At Hanover, Ind.
Individual results – 1. Michael LeDuc, Connecticut College, 24:29.3 for 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) at Hanover College, 2. John Crain, North Central (Illinois), 24:33.1, 3. Grant Wintheiser, St. Olaf (MN) 24:34.8, 4. Eli Horton, Central Colelge, 24:35.2; 5. Wylie Mangelsdorf (Principia) 24:47.1
Team results — 1. St. Olaf (MN) 84, 2. North Central (IL) 86, 3. Wisconsin-LaCrosse 155, 4. Washington University 167, 5. Williams 218
Additional team and individual results
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