DES MOINES, Iowa - University of Idaho senior thrower
Eugenio Mannucci finished his career on Friday with a 15th-place finish in the
shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Mannucci, competing in his second career NCAA Championship
meet, threw the shot 57-11 (17.65m) and took 15th in the competition to improve
on his 21st overall finish a year ago. Arizona State sophomore Jordan Clarke
claimed the title with a throw of 64-9.75 (19.75m).
"I'm really proud of how Eugenio has competed all season,"
Idaho head track and field coach Julie Taylor said. "I think that it probably
wasn't indicative of what he's capable of throwing, but he improved on what he
did last year and he just had a great season."
A three-time Western Athletic Conference champion and
five-time first-team all-WAC honoree, Mannucci puts a cap on his three-year
Vandal career with a second-team All-America honor. He becomes the first Vandal
to claim the honor in the men's shot put since Russ Winger's third-place finish
in 2008.
Mannucci's finish brings Idaho track and field's tally to 44
athletes who have combined for 86 total All-America honors.
The meet also wraps up an indoor season that saw Idaho track
and field athletes claim nine individual WAC titles and qualify nine for the
NCAA Preliminary Round, with Mannucci being the team's NCAA Championships
representative.