KINGSVILLE, Texas — TAMUK track star, John Harper, has earned the prestigious NCAA Division II National Men's Field Athlete of the Year Award presented annually by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association.
Harper was crowned national champ at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this month in Kansas. He dominated the heptathlon competition. The heptathlon is made up of seven events and Harper excelled at them all, including the pole vault which he calls one of his favorites.
"Pole vault was risky in the beginning because it was a hard event to understand," said Harper. "But once I figured it out it became something I really look forward to. There's nothing like the rush of clearing a big bar."
"He competes in probably the hardest event there is in our sport and for him to be the national champion put him up there with the very best we have had here at TAMUK," said Ryan Dall, Javelinas head track and field coach.
Harper is currently training for the outdoor season including the grueling decathlon which consists of ten events. That is a lot of training and the key according to Harper is finding the time.
"It's hard to have a life outside of being a student athlete but this is the event I love and I would not have it any other way,"said Harper.
TAMUK will host the Lone Star Conference Championships in May.
