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MONCTON, Canada – Freshman Robby Andrews wrapped up a stellar freshman campaign this weekend by earning a bronze medal at the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada. Andrews and Penn State’s Casimir Loxsom – who finished runner-up to Kenya’s David Mutua – became the first American males to medal in a middle distance event at the world junior championships.

Mutua won the world junior title in a personal-best time off 1:46.41 to become the eighth Kenyan athlete in the 13 championships to win the men’s 800m. Of the possible 39 medals in those championships, African athletes have earned 21, while Loxsom and Andrews are bringing home America’s first two medals. Loxsom used a career-best time of 1:45.57 to edge Andrews for the silver medal, while Andrews earned a bronze medal, finishing in 1:47.00.

The only other Americans to ever qualify for the finals of the 800m were David Krummenacker (1994) and George Kersh (1986). Neither of those two finished better than seventh.

The previous best finish by an American athlete in a middle distance event was a fifth-place finish in the 1500m in 1998 by Gabe Jennings – a 2000 Olympian, three-time NCAA Champion and seven-time All-American at Stanford.

Andrews, the top-seeded junior in the world, cruised to the finals of the 800m by finishing second in 1:50.80 on Friday in the opening day heats. He then won his section on Saturday with a time of 1:48.76 to qualify for today’s eight-person race.

The ACC Men’s Outdoor Performer of the Year, Andrews finished his freshman season holding the fastest time in the world juniors for 800m (1:45.54), is ranked 26th in the world with that time and is sixth among all American athletes this year. He claimed the NCAA and ACC titles in the 800m during the indoor season and was the runner-up in the 800m at the ACC, NCAA and USA Junior Championships during the outdoor season. Andrews was voted the conference’s top male rookie during both seasons.

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