St. Thomas Teams Dominate MIAC Championships

The St. Thomas men won their 24^th consecutive indoor MIAC championship while the St. Thomas women captured their 21st team title on Saturday in Collegeville. The men’s scored 235.5 points, followed by Saint John’s (114.5), Hamline (90.0) and Bethel (82.5). The St. Thomas women won with 233 points, followed by Gustavus Adolphus (98.5), Bethel (98), Concordia-Moorhead (87) and Saint Benedict (75).

St. Thomas junior Joe DeFrance won the 200 meters with a time of 22.23 and was also part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team(3:21.96) along with James Ewer, Phil Bastron and P.J. Theisen. Ewer also automatically-qualified for nationals in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.34 and won the long jump on Friday. Bradford(6.45) and DeFrance(6.46) recorded provisional NCAA qualiifiering marks in finishing second and third, while Hamline's Clarence Suttle(6.47) and Andrew Yokum of Macalester(6.54) also had provisional qualifiers in fourth and fifth. Following up a first-place finish in the mile UST senior Neil Atzinger won the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:33.48.

Saint John’s junior Eric Buss won the triple jump with a national-qualifying jump of 48' 1.25"(14.66 meters). UST's Theisen was second in an NCAA provisional qualifier of 46' 7.5"(14.21 meters)Hamline senior Brandon Gleason won the 3,000-meter run with a new Donald McNeely Spectrum record time of 8:35.58, while freshman Derall King won the shot put with a throw of 51' 9"(15.71 meters), a provisional qualifier. Gleason also was second in the 5K on Friday in 14:35.2. Bethel freshman Jay Quick won the high jump with a height of 6' 7.5"(2.02 meters), a provisional qualifier. St. Olaf sophomore John Schentzen was second in the shot with an NCAA provisional qualifying throw of 51' 6.5"(15.71 meters). Carleton junior Tom Ballinger won the 600 yard dash while setting a Spectrum record of 1:12.48.

Carleton (66.5), St. Olaf (61), Gustavus Adolphus (43), Concordia-Moorhead (35), Saint Mary’s (26), Macalester (20) and Augsburg (6) rounded out the final seven in the men’s standings.

St. Thomas sophomore Nikki Arola won her third event of the two-day meet with a new Donald McNeely Spectrum record time of 25.42 in the 200 meters. UST sophomore Erin Sprangers won the 1,000-meter run with a new Spectrum record time of 2:55.45, while seniors Selina Dehn and Carol Comp won the triple jump (37' 0.5"/11.29m) and shot put (42' 2"/12.85m), respectively. Both marks were NCAA provisional qualifiers, as was Bethel senior Jennae Plamer's second place leap in the triple jump of 36' 9.5"(11.21 meters). The Tommie women also swept the 800 and 4x400-meter relays. The 800-meter relay team, consisting of Arola, Dehn, Shionna Evans and Kate Staat recorded a time of 1:45.99, while the 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Arola, Sprangers, Katie Theisen and Raynee DeGrio recorded a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:57.61.

Bethel sophomore Marie Borner won her second individual title on the weekend with a new Spectrum record time of 1:34.68 in the 600 meters. Concordia-Moorhead freshman Hailey Brenden won the 3,000-meter run in a time of 10:36.44, while Gustavus senior Shanna Dawson and St. Olaf sophomore Amie Fillmore tied for the MIAC title in the pole vault with a height of 11' 11.75"(3.65 meters).

Carleton (51.5), St. Catherine (42.5), Hamline (39), St. Olaf (20.5), Macalester (17), Augsburg (14) and Saint Mary’s (4) rounded out the final seven in the women’s standings.

The 2008 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held next Friday and Saturday, March 14-15, at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.