St. Thomas will look to earn their sixth straight MIAC indoor conference title this year. The Tommies lost Karolien Bastiaens and Teresa Smock (All-American 800-meter runner) to graduation. Molly Bauman, Christina Chapman, Kristal Grigsby and Alicia Wolff qualified for nationals in both the 4x100 and 4x400 and are a welcome return for St. Thomas. Coach Joe Sweeney has brought in a talented group of recruits which should bring the Tommies continued success.
Gustavus hopes to rise above the rest of the teams in the MIAC and grab their first indoor title in school history. Senior Ali Cordie, who won the 600 meter title at last year's championship, returns along with 800 meter medley members Ashley Cronen and Blythe Bittman. The All-Conference runners will be looked towards to pick up where graduated All-Americans Jackie Luehmann and Kristin Petersen left off.
Concordia finished third at last year's MIAC championship and will be looking to jump ahead of Gustavus to unseat St. Thomas. Coach Marv Roeske has a strong recruiting class and quality student-athletes returning to help the Cobbers accomplish their goals.
Saint Benedict's feels very good about the upcoming season. After a fourth place finish last year, they return 15 seniors and 9 juniors. With the 4x100 team qualifying for nationals during last year's outdoor season, the Blazers can be confident about them during the indoor season. All-American shot-put thrower, Jenna Wendorff, returns along with a number of All-MIAC athletes to help the Blazers in their quest for the title this year.
Carleton will turn to a very accomplished senior All-American cross-country runner to continue on their 2004 success. The five-time All-MIAC Cassie Funk earned four titles last season and returns along with Julia Tippett who will attempt to improve on her near-NCAA qualifying high jumping. Two-time All-American heptathlete Kristi Colbenson will be playing basketball until the outdoor season, but Kestrel Schwaige will provide the Knights with a possible success in the multi-event.
St. Olaf is putting a heavy reliance on their young athletes, particularly some first year student-athletes. Gone are six key members from last year's team, however the Oles do have talented distance and middle runners and sprinters returning Coach Chris Daymont sees this high turnover as a great learning experience for the young team.
Augsburg finished in seventh place last year and feels confident about their chances to make a jump in the standings this year. After strong finishes from some returning student-athletes, Augsburg hopes to build on their success.
A strong core of athletes coupled with a talented group of young recruits will be the key to Hamline's success this season. Co-captains senior Danielle St. Louis, and junior Keidra Anderson provide the leadership to this young group looking to earn their way to the MIAC title. First year co-head coach Kelly O'Hara feels that the talent and cohesiveness of the team will take them where they want to go.
Macalester finished ninth indoors last year, but improved to a sixth place finish in the outdoor season. What should also give the Scots confidence is that they are led this year by Kristen Fristad and Koby Hagen, who were both outdoor champions in 2004. Along with Colleen Schramm and a strong group of veterans the Scots should have no problem bettering last year's finish.
Saint Mary's returns two national outdoor qualifiers from last year in Ellen Koranda and Jenny Folgers, as well as Ashley Dingels, a 2003 indoor and outdoor national qualifier who missed 2004 with knee injury. Coach Kirk Nauman is very excited about the incoming recruits and feels the team made great strides since the beginning of the 2004 indoor season. Nauman and his team are ready to make a big splash at the conference championships.
First year St. Catherine coach Sarah Daymont has a quality group of throwers in Sarah Koziolek and Kate Sherlock. All-MIAC Emily Liddiard, the school record holder in the 800 meter, and a good group of middle and long distance runners will help keep the team in contention this season.
Bethel coach Suzanne Ray has good reason to be confident in her team this season. With half of the team consisting of newcomers, the Royals are excited about the possibilities this season and into the future. With such a young, talented team, the Royals should be able to remain competitive in a number of events which will help them in the MIAC championships.
The 2005 MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. on March 3-5, 2005.
| AUG | BU | CAR | CON | GAC | HU | MAC | CSB | CSC | SMU | STO | UST |
| Augsburg College |  |
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| Head Coach: | Dennis Barker (10th season) | |
| 2004: | 7th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | To be completed at a later date | |
| Season Preview: | To be completed at a later date | |
| Bethel University |  |
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| Head Coach: | Suzanne Ray (5th season) | |
| 2004: | 12th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Sheri Netland—Soph., Coon Rapids, Minn., 55 meters, 200 meters Anna Beich—Junior, Andover, Minn., 400 meters Kathleen Koval—Soph., Midlothian, Ill.—Pole Vault Trish Steele—Junior, Fairmont, Minn., 55 meter hurdles |
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| Season Preview: | Looking ahead to the 2005 track and field season, fifth-year head coach Suzanne Ray sees reason for optimism. “With over half of this year’s team consisting of newcomers, we are excited about this season’s possibilities and especially, with a great group of freshmen, are looking towards the future” said Ray. A number of talented newcomers give the Royals more events covered and thus, more scoring ability than they have had in the past. Although they are inexperienced, Bethel is hoping to show improvement upon last season’s finish in both the indoor track and field season. | |
| Carleton College |  |
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| Head Coach: | Donna Ricks (12th season) | |
| 2004: | 5th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Cassie Funke, Sr., Partridge, Kans., Five-time All-MIAC, four MIAC titles in 2004 (3,000 and 5,000 indoors; 3,000 SC and 10,000 outdoors) 2004 cross country All-American Kristi Colbenson, Sr., Rushford, Minn., Two-time All-American, Five-time All-MIAC performer, 2004 MIAC Heptathlon champion, competes outdoors only. Liz Durham, So., Portsmouth, R.I., 2004 MIAC champion in hammer throw (outdoors) Julia Lippitt, Sr., Oak Park, Ill., 2004 All-MIAC in high jump, missed 2004 outdoor season on study abroad experience Laura Hudson, Sr., Ghent, N.Y., member of 2003 distance medley title-winning team (indoors), helped Knights' cross country team win 2004 MIAC title, earning All-MIAC honors, and finish 11th in nation |
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| Season Preview: | The Knights excelled in their indoor track campaign in 2004, roaring to a fifth-place finish at the MIAC Indoor Championships. As they return many of last year’s top performers, the Knights hope to build off a successful 2004 outdoor season and keep the momentum built up by the cross-country team’s conference title and 11th-place finish at nationals this past fall. Coming off of a standout cross country season during which she earned All-America honors is team co-captain Cassie Funke (Sr./Partridge, Kan./Haven). Funke claimed four individual titles in 2004, including the indoor 3,000- and 5,000-meter titles. Joining Funke in the middle-distance and distance events is Laura Hudson (Sr./Ghent, N.Y./Chatham), an All-MIAC performer in cross-country. Hudson has also made significant contributions in relays and sprints for the Knights. Julia Lippitt (Sr./Oak Park, Ill.) takes up captaining responsibilities along with Funke in her quest to improve on her near-NCAA qualifying high jump height on 1.61 meters in the 2004 indoor championships. She earned all-conference honors with that leap, finishing second, but missed the outdoor segment on a study abroad experience. After graduating all-conference thrower Melissa Logan, the Knights must rely on young talent to power through the throwing events. Sophomore and captain Liz Durham (Portsmouth, R.I.) placed third in the weight throw in the 2004 indoor championships and claimed the hammer-throw title at the outdoor championships. Also making her mark last year as a rookie competitor was Rachel Sinclair (Lexington, S.C.), who performed strongly in shot put, hammer, and weight throws. Cheryl Fricke (Jr./Vernon Hills, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) is ranked in Carleton’s top 10 in shot put, discus, hammer, and weight throw. Two-time All-American heptathlete Kristi Colbenson (Sr./Rushford, Minn./Rushford-Peterson) will be playing basketball until the outdoor season, but holding down the role of multi-event athlete is Kestrel Schwaiger (So./Eagle River, Wis./Choate Rosemary Hall). Schwaiger scored in both the 2004 indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon, the only first-year athlete to do so. The Knights open their season at the St. Olaf Invitational on Jan. 21 and will host a trio of home meets during the indoor season. Carleton is coached by Donna Ricks in her 12th season. She was named the MIAC’s cross-country coach of the year this past fall. |
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| Concordia College |  |
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| Head Coach: | Marv Roeske (9th season) | |
| 2004: | 3rd at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | To be completed at a later date | |
| Season Preview: | To be completed at a later date | |
| Gustavus Adolphus College |  |
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| Head Coach: | Tom Thorkelson (7th season) | |
| 2004: | 2nd at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Ali Cordie (Senior, Sartell, Minn.) all-conference 600 meter dash Ashley Cronen (Junior, Kandiyohi, Minn.) all-conference 800 meter relay Blythe Bittman (Junior, Fairmont, Minn.) all-conference 800 meter relay |
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| Season Preview: | The Gustavus Adolphus College women's indoor track and field team is in search of its first indoor conference title in the program's 20-year history after placing second the past three seasons. Head coach Tom Thorkelson enters his seventh season at the helm returning three all-conference runners. The Gusties will look to the leadership and experience of senior Ali Cordie and juniors Ashley Cronen and Blythe Bittman in the running events. Last season, Cordie claimed the 600 meter dash title at the conference meet earning all-conference honors, while Cronen and Bittman were members of the 800 meter relay championship team earning all-conference honors. In the field events, the Gusties will need to replace All-Americans Jackie Luehmann and Kristin Petersen. Gustavus will open the 2005 indoor season hosting Macalester and Martin Luther on Thursday, January 27. |
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| Hamline University |  |
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| Head Coach: | (Co-Head Coaches): Kelly O’Hara, 1st season; Paul Schmaedeke, 2nd season |
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| 2004: | 8th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Danielle St. Louis, Sr., Jumps, Hales Corner, Wis. (Whitnall) – Three MIAC high jump championships, including 2003 and 2004 MIAC Indoor Championships. Keidra Anderson, Jr., Distance, Minocqua, Wis. (Lakeland) – Fifth place in 5000 meters and eighth place in 3000 meters in 2004 MIAC Indoor Championships. Qualified for NCAA Div. III Cross Country Championships. Amanda Jones, So., Throws, Winsted, Minn. (Mayer Lutheran) – Sixth place in weight throw in 2004 MIAC Indoor Championships. Qualified for NCAA Div. III Outdoor Track and Field Champinships in the discus. |
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| Season Preview: | Hamline University’s women’s track team returns a solid core of athletes and expects its underclassmen to make big strides early and score for the team this season. This close-knit team, both on and away from the track, will look to improve on its 8th place finish in last season’s MIAC Indoor Championships. Led by co-captains senior Danielle St. Louis (Hales Corners, Wis.) and junior Keidra Anderson (Minocqua, Wis.), this young crew has great potential. Co-Head Coach Kelly O’Hara said, “The team has an unbelievable cohesiveness which, combined with the talent of our athletes, will take this team far.” One strength of this year’s squad is depth in its distance runners. Anderson, who took second in the 5000-meter run last year (fifth indoors) and was an all-conference selection in cross-country this fall and qualified for the national championships, will be joined by sophomore Lacee Schrupp (Becker, Minn.), and sophomore Melissa Francis (Windom, Minn.). Schrupp scored at last year’s outdoor championships in the 1500-meter run and joined Anderson as an all-conference selection in cross country this fall. St. Louis returns as a three-time conference champion in the high jump. She has won the indoor title in each of the last two seasons. St. Louis has qualified for two NCAA Div. III Outdoor Championships in the high jump in her career as well. http://www.hamline.edu/hamline_info/athletics/womens_track/2005_Season/outlook.html |
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| Macalester College |  |
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| Head Coach: | Martin Peper – (4th season) | |
| 2004: | 9th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Kirsten Fristad (Sr., Rochester, Minn. / Adams) – hurdles (2-time MIAC 400 I.M. hurdle champ) Koby Hagen (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn. / Southwest) – middle distance (MIAC 1500 outdoor champ ’04) Susan Brown (So., Kingston, Jamaica / Meadowbrook) – high jump / triple jump (All-MIAC) Colleen Schramm (So., St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park) – hurdles / triple jump (All-MIAC) |
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| Season Preview: | Macalester placed ninth indoors and sixth outdoors last year at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and is looking to improve its position this season as nearly everyone is back in ’05. The Scots have some good depth this season under fourth-year head coach Martin Peper and are led by a pair of MIAC outdoor champions from a year ago. Kirsten Fristad (Sr., Rochester, Mich. / Adams) goes into her final collegiate campaign as a two-time MIAC 400-meter intermediate hurdle champ. She was also second in her junior outdoor season in the 100-meter high hurdles. Koby Hagen (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn. / Southwest) is the defending conference champ in the outdoor 1500 meters and last winter was second in the MIAC in the 1000 meters. She won the conference cross country championship as a sophomore. In addition to Fristad, the Scots feature another one of the MIAC’s best hurdlers on Colleen Schramm (So., St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park). In last year’s outdoor campaign Schramm placed fourth in the conference in both the 100-meter high hurdles and triple jump, and at the indoor championships was third in the triple jump and fourth in the 55 hurdles. Susan Brown (So., Kingston, Jamaica / Meadowbrook) joins Schramm to give Mac a very young and talented triple-jumping crew, while Brown is also one of the league’s top high jumpers. She placed second in the triple jump at both the MIAC indoor and outdoor meets. In the weights, Macalester is led by javelin thrower Lisa Ostenson (Jr., Wright, Wyo.). Hagen heads a veteran group of middle and long distance runners from a cross country team which was nationally ranked from much of last fall. Caroline Barnes (Jr., Cleveland Heights, Ohio) and Anna Shamey (So., Leverett, Mass. / Amherst Regional) all registered top-seven finishes at the ’04 MIAC outdoor championships. |
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| College of Saint Benedict |
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| Head Coach: | Robin Balder-Lanoue (6th year) | |
| 2004: | 4th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Jenna Wendorff, junior, Fulda (All-American in shot-put, All-MIAC) Patti Clintsman, junior, Maplewood (All-MIAC) Kristina Granger, junior, White Bear Lake (All-MIACE) Bethany Keene, junior, Grand Rapids (All-MIAC) Sarah Nezworski, senior, Eau Claire, Wis. (All-MIAC) Leah Wurm, junior, Monticello (All-MIAC) Anna Gunderson, senior, Woodbury (All-MIAC) Megan Rose, sernior, Wayzata (All-MIAC) Meghan Orgeman, senior, River Falls, Wis. (All-MIAC) |
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| Season Preview: | The Blazers enter the 2005 season with a core group of returning athletes and will look to improve upon their 4th place finish last year at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship. CSB returns 15 seniors, some who had studied abroad last year, and 9 juniors to its veteran team. A combination of sophomore and first-year athletes creates a dominating look for CSB this spring. Leading the way for St. Benedict is junior Jenna Wendorff who earned All-American status with a fifth place finish in the NCAA Outdoor National Championship during the 2004 season. Wendorff will be vying for a return trip to the NCAA Indoor National Championship. Since the 4x100 relay team qualified for outdoor Nationals last year, we expect them to all be a huge asset to our team during the indoor season. Other key athletes who look to play a large role in the team’s success are junior Leah Wurm in the distance events, senior Meghan Orgeman provides valuable experience in the multi-events and senior Maria Wilkes in the pole-vault. The team will also benefit from the return of senior middle distance runners Megan Rose and Anna Gunderson from study abroad. The Blazers will open the Indoor season Friday, February 4th at the Carleton Triangular in Northfield. |
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| College of St. Catherine |  |
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| Head Coach: | Sarah Daymont First Season | |
| 2004: | 11th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Sarah Koziolek JR Throws Alden, MN Kate Sherlock SO Throws Minnetonka, MN |
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| Season Preview: | The 2005 track and field season should be an exciting one for St. Kate's athletes. In addition to new head coach Sara Daymont, the team returns many athletes from the 2004 campaign and has some very talented first year athletes to help the Wildcats in the 2005 season. Off the track, the Wildcats return a talented group of throwers, including Sarah Koziolek and Kate Sherlock both of whom scored in the MIAC Championship meets. Koziolek and Sherlock will have numerous teammates to push them as there are five other strong throwers who have previously competed and another group of first years with big potential. On the track, the Wildcats are led by All MIAC Emily Liddiard, the school record holder in the 800 meter. Additional runners that will help the team include Havila Brisbois in the long distance events and Melanie Priebe, Nikki Burg, and Jenny Bronson in the middle distance events. The team has a solid group of athletes to work with who will challenge for relay spots as well as positions in the MIAC Championship meet. |
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| Saint Mary's University |  |
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| Head Coach: | Kirk Nauman (2nd season) | |
| 2004: | 10th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Ellen Koranda (Jr., Blue Earth, Minn. / outdoor national-qualifier in 1,500) Jenny Folgers (Sr., McHenry, Ill. / outdoor national qualifier in 100 hurdles) Ashley Dingels (Sr., Gibbon, Minn. / indoor and outdoor national qualifier in multi-events in 2003 - missed all of last year's indoor season and most of the outdoor season with knee injury). |
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| Season Preview: | Three Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic conference individual champions. Three NCAA Division III National Championship qualifiers. One season. Now, the biggest question facing Saint Mary's University track and field coach Kirk Nauman is: What can you do for an encore? In a word - more. "To get three people to the national meet was quite an accomplishment for those individuals, but to me, that was just the tip of the iceberg,"said Nauman, who returns two national qualifiers in Ellen Koranda (Blue Earth, Minn) in the 1,500 and Jenny Folgers (McHenry, Ill.) in the 100 hurdles. "Last year was a bit of a learning year for everyone - I had to learn what my athletes were all about and they had to learn what I'm all about. I think we made great strides from the beginning of last year's (indoor) season to the end of the outdoor season - but I wasn't satisfied with where we were at, and I hope my athletes weren't, either." So, rather than relax during the off-season, Nauman hit the recruiting trail - and hit the jackpot. "Recruiting went well," understated Nauman, who brought in several athletes that he predicts will turn a few heads around the MIAC this season. "I'm excited about the season - we've got some outstanding people coming back, and with the new people we've brought in, we should be ready to make a pretty big splash at the conference championships." Complete SMU Indoor and Outdoor Track Preview: http://sports.smumn.edu/track/2005/newsletter/trpreview05.html |
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| St. Olaf College |  |
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| Head Coach: | Chirs Daymont (22nd season) | |
| 2004: | 6th at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Lindsay Boetcher - Distance Jenny Ingebritsen - Middle Distance Kelsey Watt - Middle Distance Rebecca Trombly (Jr., Eau Claire, Wis./Altoona) - Middle Distance Norma Reynolds - Sprints Allison Erlander - Sprints Lorna Wilson (So., Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) - Throws Stacy Griffin (So., Newton, Kan.) - Throws |
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| Season Preview: | The St. Olaf women's indoor track and field team experienced plenty of turnover from last winter's team. Gone are last year's senior captains Marit Grorud (middle distance), Becky Peterson (jumps/sprints), Jen Levenhagen (throws), Kjersten Johnson (middle distance) and Britt Carlson (distance). Head coach Chris Daymont has more than 20 first years on her roster this year, and those newcomers will play a key role in the overall success of the team. Several other returning athletes are traveling elsewhere during the month of January and will miss a large portion of the indoor season. "With so many people traveling for interim, we've got a very young team this winter," said Daymont "It's a good time for these women to learn as much as they can about this level of competition." The Oles look to improve upon their sixth place finish at last year's MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Leading the charge will be returning distance runner Lindsay Boetcher (Jr., Eau Claire, Wis./North), middle distance athletes Jenny Ingebritsen (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and Kelsey Watt (So., Apple Valley, Minn.), as well as sprinters Norma Reynolds (So., Omaha, Neb./Omaha Central) and Allison Erlander (Minnetonka Beach, Minn./Osseo). The Oles have been impressive thus far in the young season, turning in a number of stellar performances at their first two meets in January. The women performed well at the unscored MSU-Mankato Invite Jan. 15 and won their own St. Olaf Invite Friday Jan. 21. |
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| University of St. Thomas |  |
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| Head Coach: | Joe Sweeney (25th season) | |
| 2004: | 1st at MIAC Championships | |
| Key Returners: | Andretta Colley,Sr Krista Grigsby, So Brigid Power, Sr |
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| Season Preview: | Coach Joe Sweeney starts his 25th season and has guided Tommie track and field and cross country teams to 50 MIAC team championships and 12 national top-two finishes. Sweeney's 2004 Tommies won the MIAC indoor for the fifth year in a row, then finished five points behind first-place Concordia at the MIAC outdoor meet. At outdoor nationals, the St. Thomas women finished in 13th place with 21 points and had six All-Americans led by NCAA long jump champ Kristal Grigsby, who broke a conference record and beat a two-time national champ with a 19-10 3-4 leap. Grigsby broke three UST records, won four conference events and was in on six other top-three MIAC finishes indoors and outdoors in 2004. Graduation losses include Karolien Bastiaens, a national runner-up in the pole vault, and All-American 800-meter runner Teresa Smock. Leading the UST returners are Grigsby; senior Andretta Colley, an NCAA qualifier in the long jump last May with an 18-11 1-2 jump; and senior All-American Brigid Power in the middle distances. All three of those athletes have been gone on study-abroad in January and will compete beginning in February. In the relays, UST senior Molly Bauman and juniors Christina Chapman, Grigsby and Alicia Wolff also return. That quartet qualified for nationals in both the 4x100 and 4x400 (placed fifth). Top newcomers are sophomore transfer Megan Mayer of Minnetonka (middle distance) and freshmen Selina Dehn of St. Louis Park (HJ & TJ), Nkechi Alaike of Blaine (sprints) and Beth Ebert of Sisseton, S.D. (S.D state high jump runner-up). |
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