BY TRAVIS LAZARCZYK

Staff Writer

Dom Kone landed in Bangor on a red-eye flight from California on Sunday morning, then turned around Monday and headed to Virginia. Kone had to get to his summer internship, working with University of Virginia professors on parasite research.

Kone, who recently completed his junior year at Colby College, will have time to celebrate his national championship in the 100-meter dash, but it will come later.

On Saturday, Kone won the 100 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a time of 10.24 seconds in Claremont, Calif. It was the second national championship in three months for Kone, who won the 60-meter title at the indoor championships in March.

A Bucksport native, Kone’s time Saturday was the fastest winning time in Division III since 2002, when four-time national champ Chaz Clemons of Lincoln College ran a 10.19. Kone’s 10.24 tied for the third-fastest 100 meters in Division III history.

Colby head track and field coach Jared Beers estimated that Kone was five meters ahead of second-place finisher Sean Bernstein of Oneonta State when he crossed the finish line.

“It’s insane,” Beers said. “He had a really clean start. He was with the field for 15 or 20 meters, then he started to pull away.”

Neither Kone nor Beers went into the race with any expectations.

“I set goals for myself before the New England Division III meet last year and the ECAC meet this year and both times I had a false start,” Kone said in a press release from Colby College. “So I purposely didn’t set any goals this weekend. I just wanted to relax, breathe, and really not think of anything when I got to the blocks.”

Added Bears: “After his hamstring pull last year, the only thing I go into a race thinking is, healthy race please, healthy race.”

Kone suffered a pulled hamstring in the finals of the 55 at the NCAA Division III indoor championships as a sophomore.

Kone has the chance to repeat his double championship next year, and has a shot at the Division III record in the 100, 10.18, set by Mount Union’s Derrick Rippy in 1993. Beers doesn’t even want to take a guess as to how Kone can follow up this year.

“He’s proven time and time again, we can’t put limits on him,” Beers said.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com