Heidelberg's 4x400-Meter Relay Team Earns All-American Honors

The Heidelberg College men’s track and field team wrapped up its trip to the 2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay in a new school record time of 3:12.41. The team consisted of sophomore Cory Beebe (Medina, Ohio / Cloverleaf), freshmen Julius Salgado (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont Ross) and Justin Shields (Lorain, Ohio / Amherst L. Steele) and junior Greg Tyson, Jr. (Lima, Ohio / Lima Senior). For their efforts, Beebe, Salgado, Shields and Tyson, Jr. all earned All-American honors, marking the first time in the history of the program that the 4x400-meter relay team earned All-American recognition.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh hosted the championships at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh, Wisc. May 24-26.

Beebe came out of the blocks in lane nine to start the race and put Heidelberg in the fifth spot after one handoff. Salgado maintained Heidelberg’s position among the pack during the second leg of the race. Salgado handed off to his fellow classmate, Shields, and Heidelberg began to make a move. Shields ran among the group through 200 meters and accelerated among the top-four teams through the last curve and the final 100 meters. Tyson, Jr. ran the final lap with tremendous poise, moving Heidelberg into the top-three.

It was the second All-American honor at the championships for Beebe and Tyson, Jr. Earlier in the day Beebe placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles, while Tyson, Jr. took home runner-up honors in the long jump on Thursday.