Men's Track roars back to claim MIAC team title

1st of 11
at MIAC Champ. (M), May 10, 2008

The St. Thomas men's track and field team used a big Saturday comeback and a 50-point effort from senior All-American P.J. Theisen as it claimed its 22nd MIAC team title in the last 26 conference outdoor meets.

In the two-day conference competition which wrapped up Saturday night at Hamline, the Tommies scored 183 points for a 21.5-point victory over runner-up St. John's (161.5). Hamline (113.5), Bethel (81) and Concordia (78) rounded out the top five.

UST scored in 20 of 22 events and got points from 23 different athletes.

Coupled with the UST women's track team victory, St. Thomas closed the 2007-08 school year with 11 team titles -- one off its own conference record of 12. UST won women's conference titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, golf, softball and tied for first in basketball. The Tommie men swept indoor and outdoor track and won basketball and baseball.

The Tommie victory also secured a sweep of the MIAC All-Sport titles for men and women. It's the first male-female sweep for St. Thomas since 1998. The UST women scored 113.5 to top runner-up Gustavus by 15 points. The Tommie men scored 88.5 to top Gustavus (82.5) and St. John's (81.5).

The Tommies, competing without injured All-American sprinter/jumper James Ewer, started Saturday 38 points behind St. John's. But the Toms scored in all 15 Saturday events, winning six and taking second in four others, and that depth helped it catch and pass St. John's, last year's outdoor champion.

Theisen scored 32 individual points and contributed to 18 relay points. He hit an NCAA automatic time in the 400 hurdles in taking first in 52.63, a time now ranked second in the nation. He also anchored the winning 4x100 relay in 42.18 with Chris Bradford, Sam Moen and Phil Bastron. Theisen added a second in Friday's long jump in a season-best 23-8, which ranks sixth in Division III. He also took second in the 110 high hurdles (wind aided 14.66) and third in the triple jump (45-10 3-4). He ran on the runner-up 4x400 relay (3:19.23) with Phil Bastron, Brian Sames and Pat Jager.

Theisen finished with 34 career top-5 MIAC meet places (15 firsts in relay or individual events) and has scored a remarkable 233 career individual points in his eight MIAC meets (indoors and outdoors) and helped UST win seven of a possible eight team championships.

Sames had a hand in two victories -- the 800 (1:53.17) and the 4x800 which won Friday in a meet-record time of 7:36.41. Neil Atzinger, Greg Dowe and Matt Boumeester joined that relay. Sames also ran on Saturday's runner-up 4x400 relay. Mark O'Connell won the hammer in a season-best 178-8. Derek Marks won the discus in 165-7 and took third in the hammer (163-5). Jager won the 200 meters (22.28) and took third in the 400 meters (48.74). Matt Boumeester placed second in the 5,000 (14:59.14). Moen placed second in the 100 (11.04).

Thirds were scored by Chris Victor in the pole vault (14-9); Kyle Brandon in the 1,500 (3:56.21); and Bradford in the 100 (11.11). Fourths were scored by Jonah Shermer in the high jump (6-1 1-2) and Atzinger in the 1,500 (3:56.72). Fifths were scored by Bastron in the 200 (22.81); Joe DeFrance in the 100 (11.16); and Ryan Chapman in the 400 hurdles (55.39). O'Connell took sixth in the shot put (49-3 1-2). Sevenths were scored by Brian Pink in the high jump (6-1 1-2); Mike Connell in the steeplechase (9:43.28); Bastron in the 100 (11.19); and Matt Griswold in the 400 hurdles (56.00). Eighths were scored by Lem Berry in the decathlon (5,228); Anthony Kelly in the pole vault (13-11 1-4); Tom Menman in the long jump (21-6); Dowe in the 800 (1;56.50); and Evan Schwartz in the 1,500 (4:00.31);

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P.J. Theisen hands to Brian Sames in the 4x400 relay. (Mike Ekern photo)

Senior captains Mark O'Connell, Derek Marks, Neil Atzinger and P.J. Theisen. Mike Ekern photo)

P.J. Theisen (right) and assistant coach Joel Kickbusch celebrate a comeback win. (Mike Ekern photo)