Double Conference Champion Named Top Freshman in CAA
WILLIAMSBURG, VA - 2004 CAA Champion William and Mary men's track and field's distance ace Keith Bechtol (Alexandria, VA) was honored as the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year, the conference office announced today. Bechtol, who will compete in the 10,000m at the IAAF World Junior Championships on July 14, has campaigned one of the most successful seasons ever by a Tribe freshman. Starting with a surprise championship win in the 5,000m at the CAA Championships, powering the Green and Gold to its second-straight conference title, Bechtol solidified his standing by capturing the 10,000m title at the IC4A Outdoor Championships. He set the fastest time by an American junior this season in the 10,000m, 29:58.13, qualifying him for USA Track and Field's Junior National Championships. At Junior Nationals Bechtol ran a tactical 10,000m, clocking a 31:24.33 to cruise to a comfortable second-place finish, securing him a qualification in the 10,000m to the World Junior Championships. One of only two Americans who will compete in the race, he will represent the U. S. on July 14th in Grosseto, Italy. An All-East honoree, Bechtol also qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 5,000m, where he claimed a solid 10th, and set a new Tribe freshman record in the 10,000m (29:58.13). The award marks the second-consecutive season a Tribe athlete has captured the honor after Matt Keally (Virginia Beach, VA) was tabbed as the CAA's Rookie of the Year for 2003.