Buffalo Track Stars head to Nationals

Move over, Khalil Mack. You're not the only All-American in town.

The former gridiron star is getting used to the NFL life - and hopefully confronting his fear of housecats, but other UB athletes earned the coveted All-American status as well last week at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Jon Jones, who has destroyed MAC competition all year as the latest in a string of exceptional Bulls throwers, and Ryan Billian, who shattered the UB school record in the Long Jump as a sophomore, both earned second team All-American status at the meet.

For Jones, it was his second straight year earning All-American honors in the outdoor shot put, as he came in 11^th place with a top throw of 63'02". After this spring's MAC Championships, Jones holds both the school and conference record in the event.

Billian was competing at Nationals for the first time, and finished in 13th place in the long jump thanks to a top effort of just over 24 feet, also earning second team All-American status

A third UB athlete, Mike Morgan, also competed at the Championships in the decathlon, but was forced to bow out partway through the grueling, two-day event because of a foot injury.

The good news? All three standouts will be donning the Blue and White again next year. Jones is just completing his junior season, while Billian and Morgan both have their junior and senior seasons ahead of them. Don't be surprised if in a year all three have returned to Eugene.

With that (and my week-late wrap up), the 2013-2014 athletic year has come to an end. Fortunately, it's less than two months now before Men's Soccer opens up 2014-15 competition with their match against Gannon.