DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
NCAA Indoor Championships (Day 1)
Nedow Falls Short at NCAA Championships
3/9/2012 12:00:00 AM | TRACK AND FIELD
March 9, 2012
NAMPA, Idaho - After committing fouls on his first two shot put attempts at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, senior Tim Nedow's third throw of 18.39 meters was not enough to advance the current BIG EAST champion to the final round of throws. Friday marked the conclusion of the most successful indoor season of any shot putter in DePaul history.
Nedow, who entered the competition with the top distance in the nation, finished in sixth in the first of two preliminary flights. When six throwers in the second qualifying flight bested his distance, Nedow fell to 12th, just missing the opportunity to advance to the final round. Only the top nine throwers from the preliminaries continued on to the finals.
Regarding Nedow's national championship showing, DePaul head coach Dave Dopek said following the competition, "We hoped and expected a much better outcome than what we are facing now, but there is a reason that there is a lot of excitement and activity surrounding the winning of a national championship - it's not easy."
"Sticking your head in there and realizing that you have the ability to do just that sometimes can make it harder."
Despite his elimination from the NCAA Indoor Championships, however, Nedow's indoor season has made history at DePaul. Nedow broke the Blue Demons' indoor shot put record on six separate occasions in 2011-12 and finished in first place at every meet except the NCAA finals.
"Obviously his season was awesome," Dopek said following Friday's completion. "It was unprecedented in terms of what he was able to do week-in and week-out. Climbing the ladder of school and personal records was impressive."
After opening the season in December with a school-record 19.51-meter throw at the Blue and Gold Invitational, Nedow's distances increased in a big way in the subsequent competitions.
At the Badger Track Classic on Jan. 14, Nedow reset the Blue Demons' record with a 19.59-meter measurement and notched his first throw of over 20 meters the following week at the Notre Dame Invitational.
In the ensuing meets, the senior registered throws of 20.03 meters and 20.35 meters before launching a colossal throw of 20.51 meters at the BIG EAST Conference Indoor Championships. That 20.51-meter throw earned Nedow both first place and the title of Most Outstanding Field Performer at the conference championships.
Though he did not qualify for the finals at the NCAA Indoor Championships, that 20.51-meter throw remains one of the best in the country this season, topped only by the new indoor national champion, Jordan Clarke of Arizona State, who registered a throw of 20.86 meters in his final attempt on Friday.
While Friday's event officially concluded the DePaul track and field squad's indoor season, Nedow and the rest of the Blue Demons track and field squad are not through in 2012.
"We're going to go back to the drawing board. That's been good for Tim," Dopek continued. "We've got another meet. We've got an outdoor meet and hopefully we can still get that All-American we are looking for."
The DePaul track and field team opens outdoor season in two weeks when it heads to Tallahassee, Fla., for the FSU Relays.
Players Mentioned
