GREENSBORO, NC - For just the second time in Johns Hopkins Men's Outdoor program history, a Blue Jay was crowned champion. Jared Pangallozzi overcame heat, humidity, and a loaded field to earn the men's 10,000 national championship on Thursday night at the NCAA Division III National Championships. 

Pangallozzi, a senior out of Maplewood, NJ, has been building to this moment for a long time. Despite losing out on the 2020 Indoor National Championships, the 2020 Cross Country season and the 2020 Indoor Track & Field season, Pangallozzi persevered, put in the work, and came out the other side a champion. Pangallozzi jumped out ahead in the back half of the race, cruising through the final few laps to cross the finish line in 29:55.42, more than 12 seconds ahead of second place. The senior sat comfortably in the top-five for the first 7K or so before putting his stamp on the race and pulling away from the competition.

"It feels incredible. It is like a dream come true, it really hasn't hit me yet, Pangallozzi said. "I put in work over the pandemic, but I was nervous coming into the season because I wasn't sure how it would manifest, but it has been beyond what I had hoped."

A multiple time All-American in Cross Country and a 2020 All-American due to the indoor cancellation, Pangallozzi came out with a bang in 2021. The senior broke multiple school records, including the 29:20.29 time at the Virginia Challenge that sent him to Greensboro as the number one seed. 

"After having our meet cancelled (2020 Indoor) in North Carolina, it just felt like this was coming full circle and the thought in my head was to redeem the seasons I missed. Being back in North Carolina really motivated me."

Pangallozzi's incredibly proud head coach Bobby Van Allen added "I couldn't be more excited for Jared. For all that was taken away to be able to give something back in the form of a title is just reflective of all the work he's put in. It's simply amazing."

Van Allen noted that all of the hard work Pangallozzi put in "sets the gold standard for what guys on the team, and incomers, can work towards and try to emulate."

The New Jersey native joins an exclusive group of Blue Jays to stand tallest atop the podium. Pangallozzi joins Andrew Carey (2014) as the only other male champion in Johns Hopkins outdoor history. His outdoor title is the fifth overall in Blue Jay history. 

Teammate Alex Glavin ran an outstanding race as well for Johns Hopkins, pushing his way up near the edge of the top-10 before settling in as the 14th-place finisher. Glavin crossed the finish line in 31:20.70. The graduate student joined Pangallozzi in breaking the previous school record for the 10,000 at the Virginia Challenge in April. 

Pangallozzi will be back in action as he makes a run in the 5,000 on Saturday afternoon.