GENEVA (OH) – Delaware Valley University junior Ta'riq Thomas earned the fourth All-America honor of his standout career as he finished in sixth place in the triple jump at the 2017 NCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track And Field Championships.
 
Thomas, who entered the NCAAs with the eighth-best triple jump mark in the country (48 feet, 10 inches), had a leap of 47 feet, 10.75 inches on his fourth of six tries on Saturday at the SPIRE Institute. That put him on the national podium for the third straight time for the outdoor championships (sixth as a freshman in 2015, third as a sophomore last year) and the fourth overall as he was the national runner-up at the indoor championships this past March.
 
Thomas opened Saturday's competition with a mark of 47 feet, 9 inches. That placed him fourth in the field of 20 after the first round of preliminaries. His second jump was slightly shorter at 47 feet, 6.5 inches and he was surpassed by another competitor. Thomas fell to sixth after the third round – his leap was 47 feet, 2.25 inches, - but he advanced to the finals along with eight others.
 
Thomas followed with his best mark of the day in round four and then went 47 feet, 10 inches in his fifth attempt and maintained his sixth-place standing. With one final chance, he registered a mark of 45 feet, 9.75 inches, but the three finalists who were behind him failed to move up and Thomas had the sixth spot on the podium.
 
It was the conclusion of another year to remember for Thomas. During the indoor season, he placed second in the both the triple jump and the long jump at the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship. He earned all-region honors in both events and qualified for the NCAAs in the triple jump. His national runner-up finish tied the best track and field placement in school history.
 
Then came the outdoor campaign and Thomas won the MAC triple jump crown for the third consecutive year. He also placed second the long jump and seventh in the high jump while being named the MAC Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Thomas once again was an all-region selection for the triple jump and long jump and added another All-America trophy to his collection.
 
Luther Newburn of Benedictine, who had the best mark in Division III during the season, won the NCAA title thanks to a leap of 52 feet, 5.25 inches. 2017 indoor champion Jared Lewis of Stockton was second (50-11).