Bair becomes three-time All-American

Senior Sam Bair picked up the third All-American honor of his career at the NCAA Indoor Track… Senior Sam Bair picked up the third All-American honor of his career at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., over spring break.

Bair placed fifth in the mile-run finals with a time of 4 minutes, 5.50 seconds.

Earlier this season Bair ran a 4-minute mile, so the coaching staff is expecting big things from him as the team transitions to the outdoor season.

“He [Blair] is learning how to race in big competitions,” Pitt coach Alonzo Webb said. “He’s looking forward to the outdoor season, and we’re proud of his accomplishments.”

Only two Panthers qualified for the national meet: Bair and senior Mike Wray.

Wray placed ninth in the 60-meter hurdles and was one hundredth of a second away from qualifying for the finals.

“I planned on winning a national championship, but I just missed qualifying, so it’s a bit of a disappointment,” Wray said. “I have a lot of work to do in preparation for the outdoor season.”

The championship signified the end of the indoor season. The team looks forward to the outdoor season, which starts at the Miami Hurricane Invitational in Miami on March 21-22.

“Both our men’s and women’s teams are better at outdoor, because there are events that are not indoor that we perform well in,” Webb said.

“We’re looking forward to the outdoor season. We just have to get ready.”