Johnnies, Tommies Claim Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Day Two
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The Saint John’s University track and field team recorded 225 team points on its home track to win its fourth MIAC Outdoor Championship in 10 years, all under head coach Tim Miles, on Saturday, May 12 at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville. St. Thomas (178 points) and Gustavus Adolphus (89 points) rounded out the top three. SJU won eight of the 22 events, including five in the final day of competition.
Three Johnnies won events with new track records, including junior Chris Erichsen in the 1500-meter run (3:56.96), junior Mike Leither in the 400-meter hurdles (52.90), and the 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Drew Goede, Mike Leither, Mitch Gesell and Jeff Doll did so with a time of 3:16.93. Saint John’s went 1-2 in both the triple jump (sophomore Eric Buss and junior Erik Diley) and the 5,000-meter run (juniors Chris Erichsen and Kelly Fermoyle).
St. Thomas’ 4x100-meter relay team consisting of Chris Bradford, Kyle Jepson, Phil Bastron and Sam Moen won the MIAC title with a provisional qualifying time of 41.46, while sophomore Brian Sames won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.44.
Gustavus senior Tanner Miest posted a new Clemens Stadium record and a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 14.58 to win his third consecutive MIAC title in the 100-meter hurdles. Junior Drew Hood won the pole vault with a distance of 4.68 meters and senior Alex Zupan won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:31.60.
The University of St. Thomas won its seventh MIAC Outdoor Championship in eight years and 21st title in the last 23 years with a total of 200.5 points, followed by Gustavus Adolphus (104 points), Bethel (93 points) and Carleton (93 points). The Tommies won seven of the 22 events. The UST 4x100 women’s meter relay team comprised of Nikki Arola, Sheena Porter, Kate Staat and Shionna Evans won the MIAC title with a new track and meet record time of 47.94, while the 4x400-meter relay team (Katie Theisen, Shionna Evans, Sheena Porter and Nikki Arola) won the conference crown with a track record time of 3:54.77. Junior Selina Dehn posted a new track and meet record in the triple jump with a distance of 11.98 meters and sophomore Katie Theisen won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 62.65. Freshman Sheena Porter won both the 100-meter (12.57) and 200-meter (25.57) dashes for the Tommies.
Gustavus Adolphus senior Ashley Clemen won the lone event on Day Two for the Gusties in the discus throw with a new track record distance of 43.03 meters. Hamline senior Amanda Jones won the women’s hammer throw with a MIAC Meet and Clemens Stadium record throw of 52.05 meters, while senior Kelsey Barale of Carleton won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:14.37. Barale’s time was a NCAA provisional qualifying time and also broke a Clemens Stadium record previously held by Rachel Stangler (11:28.57) of Augustana. Concordia-Moorhead senior Heather Schuster set a new track record in the 1,500-meter run with NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:33.55.
Day One
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The host Johnnies from Saint John’s University (87 points) enter the final day of the 2007 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a 36-point lead over St. Thomas (51 points). The Johnnies received event victories with new Clemens Stadium records from juniors Kelly Fermoyle in the 10,000-meter run (30:56.28) and Erik Diley in the long jump (7.13m). St. Thomas’ 4x800-meter relay team consisting of Logan O’Grady, Greg Dowe, Kyle Brandon and Brian Sames won the event with a new track record of 7:44.20.
Gustavus Adolphus senior Tanner Miest set a new track record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.63, while Saint John’s junior Mike Leither did the same in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.36.
The Gustie women enter the final day of competition with a 21-point lead followed by a logjam of teams consisting of St. Thomas (33 points), Carleton (33 points), Saint Mary’s (26 points), Concordia-Moorhead (26 points) and St. Olaf (25 points). GAC received titles from junior Sari Lindeman in the long jump (5.36m), senior Janna Castellano in the pole vault (3.60m) and sophomore Lisa Brown in the javelin throw (44.42m). Brown’s throw earned her an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships and shattered both the meet and track records. St. Thomas earned victories in both the 4x100-meter (48.05) and 4x800-meter relays (9:17.39). Both times set new meet records.
Bethel junior Nikki Umhoefer set a new track record in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 37:32.83, while Saint Mary’s senior Amanda Weinmann did the same in the shot put with a distance of 13.50 meters.