National Championships
2011
Indoor 5,000 Meters (14:17.42)
Outdoor 5,000 Meters (14:41.15)
Outdoor 10,000 Meters (29:58.92)
Michael Spain '11 captured the 2011 National Title in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships at Capital University on March 12, securing the Cardinals' final 10 points of the competition to guide the squad to their second straight team national title, edging runner-up Central College by one point.
Spain was the lone individual national champion for the Cardinals at the 2011 Championships, crushing the field en route to the title and bringing the 5,000-meter crown back to Naperville for the second straight season after Kyle Brady '10 won the event in 2010.
Spain patiently sat in third before making a move with a mile to go, eventually winning the race by a comfortable four-second margin in a facility record time of 14:17.42.
"Coming in here, it was a lot easier with the whole team behind us," said Spain."I tried to run a conservative race and then push the second half when I felt I could move to the finish. You can't let times and numbers get in our heads. We try and focus on how we feel and intuition and feel the race, every race is different.
"The accolades, its nice but its really what I learned along the way that's the great part and the fact that I can be here with my teammates."
Spain came back to play a pivotal role in securing the team title for North Central at the 2011 Division III Outdoor Championships at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, May 26-28. On the first day of the competition, Spain fought off a game effort by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Thomas Breitbach to win the 10,000-meter run.
After running with the pack the first half of the 25-lap race, Spain surged ahead and proceeded to drop each of the contending runners except for Breitbach, and the two raced together for the next nine laps. Spain relinquished the lead with two laps remaining before moving in front and pulling away in the final 300 meters and prevailing in 29:58.92.
"I had the toughest duel of my life on my hands," Spain said. "I didn't know at any point that I would win. I kept trying to break (Breitbach) and he wouldn't give up. I took a gamble the last two laps letting go of the lead and relying on my kick. I didn't know I had it won until 50 meters to go."
Spain came back on the final day of the competition and authored one of the most exciting finishes in a meet full of drama, as the Cardinals were locked in a battle with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for first place in the team standings. He attempted to employ the same strategy in the 5,000 as he had in winning the 10,000, but five competitors were able to remain in contention. Spain fought hard to keep the lead but wound up dropping back into sixth place with just 400 meters remaining.
On the backstretch of the final lap, Spain dug down and found another gear, darting past the leaders and pulling away with a furious final sprint, winning by nearly two seconds in 14:41.15. He contributed 20 of North Central's 58 points in the championship meet, which the Cardinals won by just two points over UW-La Crosse.
"What a great way to go out," Spain said. "Whether I won or not, I'm glad I can leave here knowing I put everything I had on the table. I had no idea what to expect. It was slow, I took the lead and tried to break them and they wouldn't break. My teammates started making noise, and I remembered I was running for them too. That's what took me home."
