May 24, 2006

SAULT STE. MARIE - Lake Superior State senior Anthony Pavicic will compete in the men's 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Division II Nationals on Thursday in Emporia, Kan.

Pavicic is currently seeded 12th among 16 competitors heading into Thursday's preliminaries and has a qualifying time of 3:52.64. The top four finishers in both preliminary heats, plus the next four fastest runners will advance to the finals on Saturday.

Pavicic was also a national qualifier during the 2006 indoor nationals, but didn't make it out of the preliminaries due to severe bout with the flu. This time, he hopes to draw extra motivation by dedicating the race to his grandfather.

"He will be 85 this August, and he has been battling with heart troubles," Pavicic said. "He had a guadruple bypass five years ago. Over the last couple months he has been in and out of the hospital. His willpower and strength give him the attributes of a real competitor."

Pavicic's grandfather saw him break LSSU's indoor mile record at Central Michigan in February.