UMO's Austin Steagall concludes career as an All-American

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 31, 2016 1:48 PM

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By RUDY COGGINS

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BRADENTON, Fla. -- Adrenaline flowed through his veins and his pulse raced after a historic-setting moment began to sink in as Austin Steagall stood on the podium.

Not surprisingly, his emotions finally got the best of him.

Tears of joy streamed down the University of Mount Olive senior's face as he accepted his trophy -- a runner-up finish in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase during the NCAA Division II men's track and field championship meet contested at IMG Academy. Steagall, also, had earned All-American honors.

The frustration was over.

Steagall had finally shed his inner demons.

"I've had some rough years competing in the NCAAs, not doing as well as I'm capable of (and) that was my main thought coming into this year," Steagall said. "I told myself I would not end my career like I had been performing in the past at the NCAAs. It took me multiple years to put this together. To finally see it come out positively, I was super happy and blessed."

Ranked among the nation's top runners in the steeplechase, Steagall placed within the top 12 after the preliminary session. He and UMO head coach Matt van Lierop talked and agreed their main goal needed to be a top-8 finish, which would lead to All-American recognition.

Steagall wound up going a step further.

When the gun sounded, he opted to follow his strategy -- set the pace.

Only the field of runners didn't answer his challenge.

No one took the lead.

So, a confident Steagall ran a steady pace -- a vantage point that didn't push him out of his comfort zone. Coach van Lierop called out the splits (times for each lap) and told Steagall that some runners had dropped back.

They had played it smart.

With plenty of energy left in his tank, Steagall entered the final 200 meters in fourth place. He used his one last kick and barely cleared the final two steeples.

"My mind was rushing," said Steagall.

And then his heart skipped a beat. He looked up at the scoreboard and saw that he had placed second in a time of 8 minutes, 55.46 seconds -- an unbelievable performance that was a culmination of blood, sweat, tears, hard work and dedication for an athlete who used every ounce of his ability to achieve what had been an elusive goal.

"It was amazing to watch three years of hard work pay off," van Lierop said. "Austin executed both race plans perfectly, but took the race plan for the finals to next level. The goal was top-eight (All-American status), but he took advantage of the opportunity placed before him and became the second-fastest steepler in the nation.

"I'm so proud of him and watching him on that podium brought me joy."

Freshman Jonah Thisen of Black Hills State emerged as the national champion with a time of 8:53.29. Freshman Leakey Kipkosgei of American International took third.

Each of the top five placers completed the 7 1/2-lap race in under nine minutes. Steagall was the lone senior among the 12 competitors.

Twenty-four hours after his emotion-draining steeplechase outing, Steagall returned to the track for the 5,000-meter run. He pursued A-A status in that race, too, but started to fade with about 2 1/2 laps remaining.

"The kick wasn't there," Steagall said.

Still the excitement in his voice, comparable to a kid on Christmas day, never wavered. The lanky, freckled-faced redhead had capped an incredible career -- one that ranks him among the top record-holders in UMO's outdoor/indoor track and field and cross country history.

He's the fifth All-American behind Dylan Lafond, Karl Goodman, Aki Kitigawa and Jacob Urys. He helped the Trojans add conference and regional championships, and make a school-record fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II men's cross country championships.

"I couldn't be happier with my performances this weekend, and the past three years that I have been a Trojan," Steagall said. "I can honestly say that running for Mount Olive was the best decision I have ever made, and I ended my career achieving my goals.

"Thank you Mount Olive for the past three years and I will always stand proud to say that I graduated from the University of Mount Olive. It's a great day to be a Trojan!"

(Editor's note: The University of Mount Olive media relations department contributed to this story).