Gagnon and Rutt Participate in 800-Meter Race at Men's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (March 14, 2008) - University of Connecticut men's track and field athletes Brian Gagnon (Lowell, Mass.) and Michael Rutt (Sinking Springs, Pa.) became the first UConn athletes since Joel Legare in 2006 to participate in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships when they competed Friday against the best runners in the entire country in the preliminaries of the 800-meter run.

The race was run in two heats, with Gagnon and Rutt participating in heat one. Gagnon finished sixth with a time of 1:51.87, while Rutt was eighth with a time 1:52.79. The top eight times overall moved on to Saturday's final, while Gagnon finished 13th overall and Rutt finished 15th.

The Huskies are not done at the NCAA Indoor Championship as Daniel Hutcherson (New London, Conn.) will compete in the triple jump competition on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Also on Saturday, a limited number of men's track and field athletes will begin their outdoor season as they participate in the Embry Riddle Spike's Classic in Daytona, Fla. Check www.UConnHuskies.com for recaps of both events.