The name Phil Caraher and the words All-American have collided once again -- and for the second year in a row -- in the shot put and at the NCAAs.

Last week, the 280-pound shot putter threw 62'6"in the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, good enough for second place and All-American status.

It also ended a fantastic indoor season for Caraher as his throw sealed the door on the indoor track season.

To become an All-American, Caraher had to finish in the top ten amongst a field that included the best collegiate throwers.

"Phil won it on his last put," said Coach Harry Groves, who served on the rules committee for the meet. "But it also tied his season's best, which he threw here at the Indoor Sports Complex."

Except for Ricardo Hall, who hurt his leg at the NCAAs and didn't place in the triple jump, most of the team members' seasons culminated with the IC4A Championships on March 2 and 3 at Princeton, N.J.

The IC4As pits the best track talent from the east to compete in one meet. Groves, however, was satisfied to finish in the top five. The "darkhorse" Lions finished in third place with 47 points, as perennial favorite George Mason (102) and Georgetown (66) dominated the meet.

"Those 47 points were a battling 47 points and we have scars to prove it," Groves said. "Any points are awfully hard to get at the IC4As."

Caraher who threw a 61'5½" and Hall who triple jumped 51'11¼", were the big winners in their events. The two first place finishes earned 10 points for the Lions.

"Getting two wins is quite a few. You can't win the thing (IC4As) every year," Groves said.

In the mile, Doug Walter finished second (earning eight points) in 4:08 flat and Aidan O'Reilly followed in fourth in 4:09.2., getting four points. Going into the IC4As, the two milers were on the bubble for the NCAA. Groves said it would have taken a "studly" performance for them to qualify as they were bumped out by Georgetown's Jeff Trautman.

In other IC4A events, Jon Strange "ran like heck" in the 500, but finished sixth, while picking up a point.

"There's no way you can diminish anybody at the IC4As with every event being so competitive," Groves said.

The distance medley team of Joe Stegbauer, Strange, O'Reilly and Walter finished second and freshman Brian Kelly completed the pentathlon in 37:21.

With the indoor season completed, the outdoor season awaits Penn State with the early spring meet at North Carolina on March 23.