Written by Sun Journal Staff Writer Nathan Fournier - CLICK HERE to read original article

Haytham Ramadan is the first Saint Joseph's College athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division III indoor track championships.

Haytham Ramadan missed qualifying for last year's NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships by three-tenths of a second. That disappointment has fueled him this indoor season.

The Saint Joseph's College junior and Deering High graduate has earned a spot in the men's 800-meter run at this weekend's NCAA indoor championships in Birmingham, Alabama.

He is the first Monks athlete to qualify for the indoor track and field championships, and only the second from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

"My mindset really changed this year," Ramadan said. "I wanted to do more, more than conference, more than New England's. I reached out for higher goals."

Ramadan enters nationals with a seeded time — converted for a banked track — of 1 minute, 50.41 seconds, which is tied for fifth best. He set the Monks' program record of 1:51.99 while placing second at the Tufts Final Qualifier on March 7. He won the 800 at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic (1:56.95), the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Indoor Championship (1:59.70) and the Mule Tune-Up (1:55.05).

"Haytham has a natural, given talent for the 800," said Monks coach Mike Burleson. "… He has natural speed, and he has natural developable endurance. He's very clean as far as running goes. His form is very good, and he's very smooth."