MIAC Athletes of the Week

In his final tune-up before the 2013 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Bethel junior Zach Haskins (Maple Grove, MN) won in the 800 in 1:53.52 Friday at Macalester' s Pre-Conference Meet in St. Paul, posting the fastest time in the MIAC and one that ranks in the top-10 nationally.For his performance, Haskins was named the MIAC Men's Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week.

He won the race - which exclusively featured MIAC opponents from Gustavus, Hamline, Macalester and Augsburg - by more than four seconds over the runner up, with the fastest time in the conference this season by nearly two seconds. Haskins is also ranked No. 9 in all of Division III in the 800 in 2013. He'll also bring the top time (2:29.94) in the 1,000 and the second-fastest mile time (4:12.94) into the MIAC Championships.

The 2013 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships start Thursday at St. Olaf with the multi-event competitions, then continue Friday and Saturday with full event schedules. Thursday's action starts at 2 PM, Friday's field events will start at 2:30 PM and track begins at 4:15, and Saturday starts with field events at 11 AM and track at 1 PM.

The Concordia College men's pole vaulters put on an impressive display Friday at the St. Olaf Invitational, as the Cobbers swept the top four places in the event. Leading the way was senior Erik Olson (Buffalo, Minn.) - the school record-holder- with a first-place finish 15'(4.57m). Olson was selected as the MIAC Men's Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week.

Olson cleared 15 feet for the third time this season. His winning height was exactly 15-feet even, or 4.57 meters, which just misses his 2013 personal best jump of 4.58 meters, or 15-0.25 feet, set at the Bison Open on Feb. 9. This season, Owens' height is tied for the second-best mark in the MIAC, tied with St. Thomas' Jack May and trailing only Josh Owens (4.91 meters, 16-1.25 feet) of Gustavus. The Concordia school record-holder won Friday by 0.15 meters over teammate Levi Bachmeier.

Concordia College thrower Cherae Reeves (West Fargo, ND)  won the shot put Friday at the St. Olaf Invitational with her best throw of the year,13.7m. It's the No. 2 throw in the conference this season. Reeves was named the MIAC Women's Indoor field Athlete-of-the-Week.

Reeves won by more than a meter with the winning toss coming on her first throw of the final round. Reeves - who ranks second in the Cobber shot put history - was exactly 1.05 meters better than the runner up and nearly 2 meters better than the rest of the field. Her throw ranks second in the MIAC this season behind only Hamline's Becky Culp (13.92 m) and her distance is the 14th-best in all of NCAA Division III thus far in 2013.