CEDARVILLE, Ohio - The CIU men's track and field teams placed fifth out of 18 with three All-Americans and one first-place finish at the NCCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. This is the highest indoor championship finish in school history. 

In the 400m dash, Dario Laing finished fourth at 51.91. Laing was named an All-American in the 60m hurdles after his second-place finish with a time of 8.21. 

Hunter McCaskill and Branson Rimmer tied for sixth in the pole vault at 4.10m. 

Deandre Leith was the sole National Champion for the men's team, placing first in the shot put with a distance of 16.83m. Cameron Montgomery was also named an All-American, finishing second in the same event at 15.38m (NAIA 'B'). 

What CIU Director of Track & Field Tim Thompson says: "To God be the glory! He blessed us with competitive favor. The CIU TF/XC team competed with great confidence and determination at NCCAAs. CIU student-athletes showed great poise and focus when unpredictable moments happened. I am so grateful and honored to lead this team. A special thanks to our athletic department for all their support, which helps us compete at the highest level possible. We celebrate all achievements and use them as encouragement to continue forward. We are careful not to become overly confident as we continue to focus and prepare for next week's Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships (AAC). Consistency is key."

Up Next: The Rams prep for the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships on February 15-16 in Winston-Salem, N.C.