Results 

WAVERLY, Iowa – Saint John's University junior Ryan Bugler (Okinawa, Japan/Kubasaki) won the NCAA Division III national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday, May 28, at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Wartburg's Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

Bugler was sixth out of 14 runners with three laps to go and third with two laps remaining. He sprinted to a large lead to start the final lap and crossed the finish line in 9:11.98 to win by two seconds ahead of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Jordan Carpenter.



The title is SJU's fifth individual national championship in outdoor track and field and first since Darwin Dumonceaux '99 in 1999 (shot put). Bugler is the first All-American (top eight) in the event since Chris Erichsen '08 took second in both 2007 and 2008. Jim Gathje '86 won back-to-back national titles in the steeplechase in 1985 and 1986. Gathje's time of 8:43.93, which won the 1986 title, is still the NCAA meet record.

A U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honoree in both cross country and outdoor track and field in 2015-16, Bugler took second in the steeplechase two weeks ago (May 14) at the MIAC Outdoor Championships with a time of 9:34.70.

He finished fourth in the second heat with a time of 9:15.48, seven seconds from his season-best time of 9:08.50, to take 10th out of 20 runners in the prelims on Thursday (May 26) to qualify for Saturday's final.