Tommie Sports - Women's Track and Field
Russ, Theisen leads Women's Track at NCAAs
May 23, 2009
Kelly Russ placed seventh in the 1,500 meters in 4:32.66 to earn All-America honors Saturday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Marietta, Ohio. The Tommies tied for 28th place with 10 points. Russ was just .43 of a second off her career best time.
Jenna Lewis threw 39-8 in the shot put but missed the finals.
Friday story
Senior Katie Theisen placed second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Marietta, Ohio. Theisen's time of 10:27.58 lowered her school and conference all-time best by nine seconds. It's the fifth All-America honor in Theisen's distance running career and first in outdoor track and field.
Theisen closed five seconds behind the winner, UW-LaCrosse junior Stephanie Perleberg, and four seconds ahead of third-place Kerry Arouca of Westfield (Mass.) State.
The Tommies have eight points and will have Kelly Russ (1,500) and Jenna Lewis (shot put) competing in Saturday's finals.
The Tommies had five athletes compete earlier Friday but failed to advance to the finals. Erin Spangers missed in the 800 meters by one spot and .10 of a second as she ran 2:12.49. Raynee DeGrio ran 2:16.86. In the 400, Nikki Arola missed the eight-woman finals by one spot as she was ninth of 18 in 56.79, and Shionna Evans ran 57.16. In the discus, Felisha Willaert was ninth of 20 in 135-2 but missed the finals by one spot.
PHOTO: Katie Theisen places second in the steeplechase. (John DeFrance photo)
Click here for results:
http://raceberryjam.com/results/ncoutwomenevt.html
Thursday story
Kelly Russ qualified for the finals in the 1,500 meters in 4:33.53, the third best time, in an otherwise disappointing day for the Tommie women at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Marietta, Ohio.
UST had the ninth-best time in the 4x100 and eight best in the 4x400 but missed advancing to the eight-team finals by a fraction of a second in each prelim race.
The UST team of Molly Demmer, Shionna Evans, Katie Theisen and Nikki Arola clocked 3:50.64, .01 of a second faster than Gustavus but the Gusties made the final with a second-place finish in their heat. Evans, Arola, Demmer and Jenna Ewing ran 47.70 in the 4x100.
Kyley Crotty was 14th out of 19 in the javelin with a toss of 123-7.
Arola failed to advance in the 200 prelims in 25.32.
On Friday, the Toms will have three more prelim events plus Theisen in the steeplechase finals.
Click here for results:
