Last year, Drew Windle took the NCAA Division II men’s indoor track and field world by storm. A relative unknown coming to Ashland, he won the first two national championships of his college career within hours of each other and was named the Division II Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.

This year Windle had a target on his back going to Nationals, and he was able to defend it. The junior helped AU capture a national title in the distance medley relay and repeated as 800-meter champion. 

Even though the 4×400-meter relay team was unable to repeat, Windle was named Track Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row.

“There were some really impressive athletes who had some really impressive performances,” Windle said. “I was just glad they took the body of work from the entire season into perspective.”

It is hard to argue with Windle’s resume over the 2014 indoor track and field season. While his time of 1:49.73 in the 800-meter final March 15 may not jump off the page, he has quickly become one of the best 800 runners in all divisions.

In fact, his time of 1:46.52 at Grand Valley State’s Big Meet on Feb. 14 ranks as the second best collegiate time this year. Windle’s path to two more national championships was not easy though.

After finishing his 800-meter prelim on the first day of Nationals in Winston Salem, N.C., the stage was set for the distance medley relay in the night’s final event.

Junior Josh Davis ran the first leg (a 1200-meter run) and the plan was for him to hand the baton off for the 400-meter leg near the front of the pack. Things did not go according to plan. Davis faded, and by the time senior Jacob Cook began the second leg the Eagles were in ninth.

“I looked at Jacob Cook right before the exchange happened and we just kind of looked at each other like ‘we’ve got a lot of work to do,’” Windle said.

Cook ran the fastest 400-leg by nearly half a second and passed three competitors in his final 100 meters when one team dropped the baton. Then he passed the baton off to Windle for the 800-meter leg.

The first thing Division II’s best 800-meter runner did was move into fifth behind Adams State and survey the scene. Four runners were still in front of him, and there was a massive gap between Windle and first place. What he did over the next four laps was nothing short of incredible.

Passing one competitor each lap – Adams State, Augustana, Findlay, Grand Valley State – he made up more than a quarter lap and posted a split time (1:48.4) nearly four seconds faster than the nearest competitor.

“Going in, we all assumed that we would be out in front the entire race,” Windle said. “We managed to have basically the same lead coming out of the 800 leg that we wanted in the original perfect race that we had imagined.”

Junior Brian Baum closed brilliantly in the mile, holding off Adams State to secure the national title.

“The one that I wanted most was the DMR,” Windle said. “Winning that really set the tone for the whole weekend and made the trip worth it.”

After a night’s rest, he stepped on the track to defend his 800-meter title still mentally and physically drained. The result was that he was pushed harder than he has been in an 800 all year.

At the break, Windle found himself in unfamiliar territory in fourth place. After making sure he did not get boxed in, he began to make his move. With 450 meters to go he surged into second. The only man left to beat was Findlay’s Dillon Webster.

Webster is the only person to beat Windle this year, in a 500-meter dash back in January. On the final straightaway, it looked like it was going to happen again.

“A lot of stuff flashed through my head really quick,” he said. “Like the 500 from Findlay when he outkicked me, the conference meet my freshman year when it was a very similar race where I came back in the last 60 meters to beat him. I haven’t lost (an 800) all year, this is not a time to lose one.”

Windle made one last push and passed Webster right before the finish line. The two shared a hug and congratulated each other on a fantastic race.

“I couldn’t be happier to be pushed by anybody else in the final 500 meters of a race,” Windle said.

Even though the year’s first National meet is over, Windle’s season is just getting started. He will not get a break until after the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, which he qualified for with his time at the Grand Valley meet on Valentines Day.

This spring, he will focus on improving his 800 time and defending his 2013 outdoor national championship. A successful defense would mean four titles in his last four 800-meter national championships.

His goal is to move his 800-meter time under 1:46, whether it happens during the spring collegiate season or at the USA Outdoors. 

“That’s a pretty reasonable goal, just because when I ran that 1:46.52 at Grand Valley it was a negative split, which means my first 400 was slower than my second, and typically it’s the other way around,” he said.

He also hopes to blow away the one 800 record that has eluded him in an AU uniform. Jay Fabian’s time of 1:47.54 from 1971 still stands as the fastest outdoor 800-meter run by an Eagle.

Windle will also add a new race to his program. He will go after a national title in the 1500. This is a risky maneuver since the 1500 and 800 finals are run within an hour-and-a-half of each other at the National meet, but one Windle believes he can pull off.

Now in his third year of training with AU distance coach Trent Mack, Windle believes he has barely stroked the surface of what he can accomplish.

“I’m just getting started,” he said.