by Lucas Treat (ltreat@kcautv.com)
Sioux City, IA - Morningside College's Monte Larsen, a graduate student from Neola, Iowa, is the NAIA National Champion in the men's 800-meters after he won Saturday's final at the 2013 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio.
Larsen, who had the fifth fastest qualifying time in the prelims with a time of 1:54.85, ran a 1:52.21 for a victory margin of almost one second over Oklahoma Baptist University freshman Clay Sheperson, who was the runner-up with a time of 1:53.09.
Larsen's national championship in the 800-meters came one day after he anchored the Mustangs to a national title in the men's 3200-meter relay.
Larsen earned NAIA All-America honors for the ninth time in his Morningside career with Saturday's victory in the 800-meters. He was a NAIA national runner-up three times earlier in his career with second place finishes in the 600-meters at the 2011 and 2012 NAIA Indoor National Championships and in the 800-meters at the 2011 NAIA Outdoor National Championships.
