All-America honors for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season were announced last week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Earning honors was SUNY Oneonta junior Norberto Cervantes (Williamson) in the weight throw.

Cervantes qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships in North Carolina but was unable to compete with the cancelling of the event by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time of his career that he qualified for the national championship meet. Cervantes was the third thrower in program history to qualify for the NCAA indoor championships and the first since 2015.

“We were very excited to see Norberto qualify for his first NCAA appearance this year and happy to see that his efforts were honored,” said Head Coach Chris Wilber. “He has worked extremely hard with our throws coach Mitch Couch, who now has his first All-American thrower, to reach this point and I hope it only motivates him to accomplish more in his final season next year.”

Cervantes earned All-Atlantic Region and All-SUNYAC honors for his performance in the weight throw this past winter. Cervantes recorded the third best throw during the indoor season in the Atlantic region. At the AARTFC championship he finished third in the event.

At the SUNYAC indoor championships, Cervantes successfully defended his conference title in the weight throw posting a personal best distance of 18.18 meters (59’-7 “). His performance at the championship earned him first team All-SUNYAC honors.

Couch commented on Cervantes’ honor, “It is one of the most mentally draining things for an athlete when they start a season off strong and then fall into a plateau during the middle of the season. Fortunately, Norberto never lost sight of his goals and was able to work through these challenges throughout the year. I’m extremely proud of him and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this talented young athlete.”