June 10, 2009
Photo Gallery 
Fayetteville, Ark. -
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship got underway on Wednesday, as Fordham senior Matt DiBuono (New Rochelle, N.Y./Iona Prep) became the first Ram competitor in over 20 years at the event. DiBuono took on the nation's best in the hammer throw, looking to become Fordham's first All-American in track & field since 2007.
Held at the University of Arkansas, DiBuono qualified as an at-large competitor with the 15th best hammer throw in the NCAA Division I this year, a school-record toss of 65.34m (214' 4") at the IC4A Championships on May 16th.
On his first throw of the day, DiBuono put down a mark of 63.58m (208' 7") and then bettered that mark on his second throw at 63.71m (209' ½"). That would be his best mark, as DiBuono fouled on his final attempt.
The distance of 63.71m would fall just shy of qualifying DiBuono for the finals on Friday, as the finals' qualifying cut line was 64.08m or better. Overall, DiBuono finished in 14th place. DiBuono also fell short of All-American status, as he finished ninth among Americans in the competition, where the top eight are named All-America.
Though a bittersweet finish at the NCAA Championship, DiBuono wrapped up an outstanding four-year career at Fordham, which was highlighted by winning the 2009 Vincent T. Lombardi Award as Male Athlete of the Year.
DiBuono was an automatic regional qualifier as the Atlantic 10 champion in the hammer, his third straight A-10 hammer throw title. But he didn't need the automatic bid as by the time the 2009 Atlantic 10 Championship came around he had already qualified for the regional with an automatic qualifying mark throw of 206' 2" at the Colonial Relays on April 3rd. He would surpass that mark with a throw of 213' 5" at the Metropolitan Championships, earning Athlete of the Meet honors for the second consecutive year.
At the NCAA East Regional in Greensboro, North Carolina, he placed seventh overall with a top toss of 62.33m (204' 5.5"). He improved on his 16th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Regional, advancing to the finals of the event.
Indoors, DiBuono won the weight throw at the 2009 Atlantic 10 on February 20th with a Fordham record toss of 61' 10 ¼". He then bettered that record by placing third with a throw of 63' 7 ½" at the 2009 IC4A Indoor Championships on March 9th.
