OSHKOSH, Wis.  --  Junior James Spaulding (Lewiston, Maine) of the University of Southern Maine men's outdoor track and field team became the third athlete in the history of the program to earn All-America honors Friday after he finished eighth in the decathlon at the NCAA Division III National Championships meet being held at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
    
Spaulding joins Trey Gadbois (110-meter hurdles) and Mike Bunker (steeplechase) on the list of USM men's track and field athletes to earn All-America honors outdoors.
    
Sitting in tenth place at the start of the second day of competition, Spaulding opened with a personal best time of 16.19 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles to pick up 711 points.  He added 454 points in the discus (29.45 meters/96-7), 469 points in the pole vault (3.45 meters/11-3 3/4) and 558 points in the javelin (47.91 meters/157-2).  Spaulding closed the two-day, ten-event competition with another personal best in the 1500 meters, finishing second among the 15 competitors, with a time of 4:28.16 to earn 757 points.
    
Spaulding finished with 6,264 points, 22 points shy of his school record set two weeks ago at the NEIcAAA Championships, and just two points out of seven place.
    
Senior Beresford Brown of Moravian College, who piled up a big lead in the first day of the competition, won the event with 7,192 points.  Senior Kevin Steiner of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was second with 7, 126 points.
    
USM senior Curtis Wheeler (Derby, Vt./North Country Union) will compete Saturday afternoon in the 5,000 meters.  Wheeler placed 15th in the 10,000 meters Thursday evening with his time of 31:14.47.