Tosa East grad Schudrowitz claims national track title for St. Norbert

St. Norbert College senior and Wauwatosa East graduate Emily Schudrowitz and freshman Justin Johnson both claimed national championships on May 26 in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges' Burns Track Complex.

Schudrowitz won the 800-meter run for her second NCAA title, while Johnson's win in the 110-meter hurdles was his first.

As detailed in a news release from St. Norbert, Schudrowitz claimed the championship in thrilling style, using a late charge to claim her second career national title. She clipped Coe College's Keelie Finnel at the tape. Schudrowitz, who won the 2010 NCAA indoor title in the 800, ran a time of 2:07.44 to edge Finnel's 2:07.50. It was a finish so close St. Norbert coach Don Augustine had to wait for the finish to show on the results board to determine the winner.

"Emily led for the first 600 meters but then got swallowed up by about four girls," Augustine said. "With about 120 to go she started to come back. (Finnel) wasn't going any faster and Emily kept coming and got her at the line.

"After winning indoors in 2010 she's carried around the pressure of repeating for 2 1/2 years. After this year's national indoors she was upset. She wanted that storybook ending and she got it."

For the highly decorated Schudrowitz, a 10-time NCAA qualifier and 18-time Midwest Conference champion, it was satisfying finish to an accomplished career.

"I did everything I could physically and mentally to put myself in this position," Schudrowitz said. "I've been visualizing ending my career at the top of the awards podium for three months, and I wasn't going to accept anything less."

On the men's side, Johnson set a national record in the 110 high hurdles with a 13.79 time, breaking a 19-year-old record.