Tommie Sports - Women's Track and Field
Tommie women win sixth MIAC team title in row
1st of 12MIAC Champ. (W), May 15, 2010
For the third year in a row, St. Thomas has swept the MIAC outdoor track and field team championships for men and women.
The UST women scored 168 points to top runner-up Gustavus by 35.5 points. Joe Sweeney won his 65th MIAC women's team title in cross country and indoor/outdoor track and field. UST has now won 24 of the last 26 MIAC outdoor team titles.
The Tommie men scored 178.5 points to top runner-up Hamline by 23.5 points. UST has now won 24 of the last 28 MIAC outdoor team crowns.
It's the eighth and ninth MIAC regular-season team championships this school year for St. Thomas.
Sweeney's women's team won seven events and scored in 19 of 22 events with points from 20 different athletes.
Senior All-American Nikki Arola had a hand in 34 points as she swept the 200 (25.29) and 400 (55.98), ran on the runner-up 4x100 and the third-place 4x400. Her 400 time set a meet record and is ranked third best in Division III this season.
Kylee Crotty improved her NCAA automatic mark by three inches as she won the javelin in 145-7 -- fourth best this season in Division III.
Laura Janas won the 100 hurdles (15.14). UST had a big 2-3-4 finish in the 800 with Erin Sprangers (2:12.82), Kelly Russ (2:16.64) and Larissa Peyton (2:16.77). Russ (4:33.51) and Taylor Berg (4:51.13) placed 3-4 in the 1,500.
Allie Metzler took second in the 5,000 (17:50.80) after taking a huge second place in Friday's 10,000.
The Toms 4x100 team of Janas, Arola, Molly Demmer and Jenna Ewing clocked 47.90, just behind winner Augsburg. UST's 4x400 was third in 3:52.86 with Demmer, Sprangers, Russ and Arola.
In the steeplechase, Raynee DeGrio (11:31.24) and Julia Brandes (12:01.47) place third and eighth. Demmer took seventh in both the 200 (26.40) and 400 (58.23). Becky Theisen took sixth in the 400 hurdles (65.43). Jenna Lewis took fifth in the shot put (40-1 1-4). Traci Pastoors was sixth in the triple jump (35-4 1-4).
Click here for final women's results:
http://www.miac-online.org/documents/2010/5/14/miacwomenod10.html?id=1805
Friday's story:
The Tommie women had four top-two places on Friday and trail Gustavus by a 10.5-point margin with 13 events to go in the MIAC Track and Field Championships.
The two-day competition will conclude Saturday afternoon in Winona.
St. Thomas came into the day trailing the Gusties by 19 points after last week’s heptathlon. They have rallied to move into first place on the final day several times in recent seasons.
Felisha Willaert won the discus (138-0), Jenna Lewis won the hammer (158-11) and UST also won the 4x800 in 9:14.90 with Cathy Reeves, Larissa Peyton, Betsy Hupp and Erin Sprangers.
Allie Metzler took second in the 10,000 in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 37:14.19.
Megan Honan placed third in the hammer (150-5); Amy Maas was fifth in the discus (129-4); Britney Daniel was fifth in the pole vault (10-9); and Julianna Gorder took eighth in the long jump (16-5 1-4).
