March 12, 2005
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Senior Nedzad Mulabegovic finished one place shy of becoming national champion in the shot put Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Mulabegovic, a native of Zagreb, Croatia, finished with a top throw of 19.67 meters (64-feet, 6 1/2 inches), placing behind fellow countryman and friend Edis Elkasevic of Auburn.
"I've known Edis for over seven years so I'm very happy for him," said Mulabegovic. "We've had the same coach, practiced together a lot, the only thing different now is the choice of our schools."
According to head coach Jack Warner, Mulabegovic was leading into the fifth round but was called for a foul, which Warner considered questionable. On his final attempt, Mulabegovic could not better his previous efforts as Elkasevic outdistanced the 2005 Big Ten Champion.
The runner-up showing is the best of Mulabegovic's career at an NCAA meet. He finished fourth at both last year's indoor meet and the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships, giving him a total of three All-America citations.
"I'm happy with the second-place finish, but I didn't do everything I was supposed to technically," said Mulabegovic, who is now looking forward to the start of the outdoor season. "Last year I went from an average of 19.30 meters to 19.80, so I'm convinced I'll be throwing well over the 20-meter mark this outdoor season."
Mulabegovic and his teammates resume competition on March 25, traveling to South Carolina for the Clemson Relays. This two-day event replaces the Arizona State Invitational, kicking off the Boilermakers outdoor schedule.
Purdue's outdoor home opener, the Mike Poehlein Invitational, will take place April 1 and 2 at Rankin Track and Field.