LONGHENRY NAMED NSIC TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ABERDEEN, S.D.: Northern State senior Eric Longhenry (Sr., Ortonville, Minn.) was named as the 2003 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year. The announcement came from the league office yesterday.

Longhenry was crowned NSIC decathlon champion for the third time in his collegiate career scoring 6,797 points and setting a new league record in the 2003 NSIC Multi-event Meet. He completed the 10-event competition winning the shot put, 400 meter dash, 110 meter hurdles and the 1,500 meter run. Longhenry then followed up his decathlon performance by winning the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.66 in the NSIC Championships this past weekend.

Longhenry was also a member of the NSU 4x400 meter relay team that finished first in the meet and took second place in the 110 meter hurdles, tied for fourth in the pole vault and tied for sixth in the high jump. Eric is currently ranked No. 11 among NCAA Division II decathletes and will compete in the NCAA Division II National Meet in Edwardsville, Ill. on May 22-24.

This is the second time that Longhenry has been touted as the NSIC Athlete of the Year also winning the award during the indoor season in 2001.