Devils complete sweep of titles

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Walter Dix’s absence caught up with Florida State in the end.

So did Arizona State, which rallied past the Seminoles in a thrilling finish to the NCAA Indoor track and field championships.

The Sun Devils entered the final event of the meet Saturday night tied with Florida State in the men’s team standings. Arizona State then ran the 1,600-meter relay in 3 minutes, 6.34 seconds – about a second faster than the Seminoles.

Florida State was competing without Dix, its star in both the 200 and the relay. He was out with strep throat.

Arizona State finished third in the relay and with 44 points overall. Florida State scored 41 points. Arizona State also won the women’s championship with 51 points. LSU was second with 43.

“It’s a dream come true for us to be able to come in and win on both sides,” Arizona State coach Greg Kraft said. “It was a lot of work for the kids. They just did a wonderful job. I’m kind of speechless.”

The Arizona State men earned 16 points in the final two events, including 10 when Kyle Alcorn won the 3,000. Alcorn finished in 8:00.82, pulling the Sun Devils into a first-place tie.

Florida State’s relay team ran valiantly without Dix. The Seminoles finished in 3:07.47, which was only 0.06 slower than their qualifying time with Dix.

The Seminoles then had to wait for Arizona State, which ran in the final heat. The Sun Devils had two runners who ran in the 400 earlier in the night, but they were enough to beat Florida State’s time.

Baylor won the men’s relay in 3:05.66.

Texas was third in the men’s standings with 34 points, and LSU was fourth with 33.