PITTSBURG, Kan. – Charleston's Jack Mastandrea finished 13^thin the 5000-meter run at the NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday evening at the Robert W. Plaster Center on the campus of Pittsburg State University.
 
The junior transfer started fast and strong, keeping up with the lead pack after 2000 meters and in seventh position. Mastandrea may have started too fast as he began to drop spots and add time to his splits over the final half of the race.  He still turned in a sub 15-minute performance with a finishing time of 14:33.00 and 13^thplace among the 16 competitors at the championship.
 
Mastandrea qualified for the national championships with a time of 14:17, which would have put him 10^thin this year's final.  
 
Still, Mastandrea is one of the best in the nation among all of NCAA DII in the 5000m and capped off a record setting performance this season in his debut for Golden Eagle indoor track.  Mastandrea was the only representative from the Atlantic Region in the 5k event.
 
Sydney Gidabuday from Adams State edged out Grand Valley State's Zach Panning for the 5000-meter title and set a facility record with a finishing time of 13:46.34.