For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships set set for Fri.-Sat., Feb. 28 and March 1in Bemidji, Minn.  Championship information can be found at www.NorthernSun.org/NSICIDTF

NSIC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week:
Minnesota State senior Chris Reed (Omaha, Neb.) set a new MSU school record in the weight throw and a new meet record in the shot put at the University of Minnesota Snowshoe Open on Friday. Reeds throw in the weight throw was 67’ 7.5” surpassing the old record of 66’ 7”. He had a throw of 63’ 8.25” in the shot put finishing in first place. Reed leads the NSIC in both events.

NSIC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week:
Augustana’s Aduo Omot (Mid-Distance, Sr., Worthington, Minn./Worthington HS) won the men’s 800-meter run at the Nebraska Tune-Up with a provisional mark and was part of Augustana’s season-best 4x400-meter relay team. Omot clocked a 1:51.48  (adjusted due to banked track) to win the event and then ran a 48.75-second 400-meter leg as part of Augustana’s season-best 4x400-meter relay team.  

NSIC Women’s Field  Athlete of the Week:
Wayne State’s Sara Wells (Jr., Albion, Neb.) hit an NCAA automatic qualfiying mark in the shot put at the USD Twilight Open on Friday in Vermillion, S.D. and became the first WSC women’s thrower to break the 50 foot barrier indoors in the shot put. She captured first place in the shot put with a new school record throw of 50’ 2 ½”.  It’s the third time she broke her own school record in the event this season and tops her previous school mark of 48’ 10” set at the Wildcat Open in Wayne on January 25th.  She is currently ranked #5 on the NCAA National list and leads the NSIC by over a foot and a half.  

NSIC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week:
University of Mary’s Kathryn Stewart (Jr., Kingston, Jamaica) had a dominant day at the University of Minnesota Parents Day Open, capturing three titles and exceeding the NCAA provisional qualifying standards in all three events. Stewart won the 60 meter dash with a mark of 7.69, the top mark in the Northern Sun. She captured the 200 meter dash in a clocking of 25.26 seconds. The third win of the day for Stewart came in the 4x400 meter relay. Combining with Crystal Hovland, Melanie Rodriguez and Cassandra Jones, the quartet ran a time of 3:49.13 to tie the meet record. It is the top time in the NSIC and the third best mark in NCAA Division II.

NSIC Team Notes
Augustana
Augustana split their squads this past weekend, sending athletes to the Nebraska Tune-Up and USD Twilight Open on Friday night. The women’s 4x400-meter team highlighted both trips with a school record-breaking time of 3:51.58, a provisional mark. The Vikings hit five qualifying times at the Nebraska Tune-Up and added three more at the USD Twilight Open. CJ Ham continues to improve his qualifying marks in the shot put and weight throw which mean he increased his school record distance in the weight throw. Augustana now prepares for the NSIC Championships in Bemidji, Minn. on Feb. 28 and March 1.
Men’s Track: Aduo Omot (Mid-Distance, Sr., Worthington, Minn./Worthington HS) won the men’s 800-meter run at the Nebraska Tune-Up with a provisional mark and was part of Augustana’s season-best 4x400-meter relay team. Omot clocked a 1:51.48  (adjusted due to banked track) to win the event and then ran a 48.75-second 400-meter leg as part of Augustana’s season-best 4x400-meter relay team.  
Men’s Field: CJ Ham (Throws, Jr., Duluth, Minn./Denfeld HS) broke his own school record in the weight throw for the fourth time this season and hit two provisional qualifying marks at the USD Twilight. Ham threw a meet-winning 17.99 meters (59 feet, 0.25 inches) in the weight throw. Following his winning performance, Ham chalked up a fourth-place finish in the shot put with a career-best 16.26 meters (53 feet, 4.25 inches). Ham’s weight throw mark ranks 22nd in Division II this season and his shot put mark 27th.
Women’s Track: Kyle Blakeslee (Distance, Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS) recorded a provisional qualifying fourth-place finish in the women’s mile at the Nebraska Tune-Up. Blakeslee turned in a 4:58.41 to take fourth, second among Division II runners.
Women’s Field: Colleen Everson (Long Jump/Sprints, Sr., Slayton, Minn./Murray County Central HS) earned a ninth-place finish in the long jump, nearly equaling her season-best distance, and also ran a leg on Augustana’s school record-breaking 4x400-meter relay team. Everson jumped 5.33 meters (17 feet, 6 inches) just one inch short of her season best. Everson’s lap on the 4x400-meter relay team checked in at 58.43 seconds.

Bemidji State
Women’s Track:  Chloe Miller (Fr., Baxter, Minn.) turned in a 2014 Bemidji State-best time in the 60-meter hurdles to highlight the squad’s appearance at the BSU Twilight Feb. 20. The freshman clocked a personal-best 9.75 seconds to qualify third in the preliminary round and finished third in the event (10.02).
The Bemidji State University track and field team hosted the BSU Twilight Feb. 20. The Beavers placed six individuals among the top four finishers in the meet. Highlighted by a first place finish in the by Nikki Anderson (So., Becker, Minn.) in the 60-meter hurdles (9.90), the Beavers also had solid performances by Nicole Crummy (Jr., Argyle, Minn.), who turned in a pair of fourth place finishes in middle distance races (2:33.01/800M and 6:00.26/mile). Kaneeshia Johnson (So., Rosemount, Minn.) claimed second place in both the long jump (16-5) and triple jump (33-10.25), while Austin Eng (So., Braham, Minn.) cleared 10-00.00 in the pole vault to take second place.
The Beavers will be back in action Feb. 28-March 1 when they host the 2014 NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships at Gillett Recreation/Fitness Center. Field events will get underway beginning at noon Friday, with the starting gun for running events set for 3 p.m. Events begin again at 10 a.m. Saturday with the awards ceremony set for 4:30 p.m.

Concordia-St. Paul
The Concordia University track and field team competed in three different event this weekend as they took part in the Snowshoe Open and the Parents Day Open on the campus of the University of Minnesota and the Tostrud Open on the campus of St. Olaf.  
Women’s Track: Alyssa Christianson (Sprints, 5’6”, Sr., Marshall, Minn. / HS) continued her strong season as she. broke her own school record in the 400m. She finished fourth with a time of 57.98, surpassing her record set earlier in the year. She also helped guide the 4x400 relay team to their best time of the year.
Men’s Field:  Mike Cullen (Throws, 6’4”, Jr., Green Bay, Wis. / Preble HS) set records in the shot put with a mark of 15.93m and in the weight throw with a mark of 15.74m. He finished sixth in the shot put and tenth in the weighted throw against the deep field.

University of Mary
Men’s Track & Field:  In his final tune-up prior to the Northern Sun championships, Jordan Washington posted his best time of the season to lead the University of Mary men’s indoor track & field efforts at the University of Minnesota Snowshoe Open late Friday night. The senior from Katy, Texas, placed third in the 400 meter dash. His time of 49.83 seconds is his best of the season and currently ranks third in the Northern Sun... Aaron Teigen posted two top-5 finishes on the day. The senior sailed 22’ 2 1Z4” in the long jump to place fourth. He followed up with a 5th place mark of 43’ 7”in the triple jump... Jerrod Shaffner exploded his way to third in the triple jump. The sophomore from Santa Maria, Calif., covered 44’ 9” in his best effort of the day... The Marauders next best finish on the day was Chase Smiley in the 60 meter hurdles. The senior from Grass Valley, Calif., placed fourth after clearing the barriers in 8.47 seconds... Tying his best mark of the season, freshman Nico Fonzi cleared the pole vault bar at 14’ 7 1Z4” to place sixth.
Women’s Track: Kathryn Stewart (Jr., Kingston, Jamaica) had a dominant day at the University of Minnesota Parents Day Open, capturing three titles on the day and exceeding the NCAA provisional qualifying standards in all three events. Stewart won the 60 meter dash with a mark of 7.693, the top mark in the Northern Sun. She captured the 200 meter dash in a clocking of 25.26 seconds. The third win of the day for Stewart came in the 4x400 meter relay. Combining with Crystal Hovland, Melanie Rodriguez and Cassandra Jones, the quartet ran a time of 3:49.13 to tie the meet record. It is the top time in the NSIC and the third best mark in NCAA Division II.
In U-Mary’s final tune-up before defending its NSIC crown, the Marauders posted six provisional qualifying marks and a pair of school records at the University of Minnesota Parents Day Open. Stewart recorded three of the provisional marks. Janet Johnson set a meet and school record with an 8.47 provo posting in the 60 hurdles. In addition to her efforts in the 4x400, Cassandra Jones posted a provo time of 57.89 to place third in the 400 meter dash. Crystal Hovland set a school mark in the 600 meter dash with a mark of 1:37.45. Stephanie Fey had the Marauders sixth provo with a toss of 53’ 3 3Z4” in the weight throw.
 
Minnesota Duluth
Men Track: Cole Toepfer made his last collegiate trip to the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse a memorable one Friday by placing first in the mile run at the Snowshoe Open. The University of Minnesota Duluth senior team captain did so in record-breaking time, clocking in at 4:10.47, which broke the previous school standard of 4:12.39 set by Nate Beerling some 10 years ago. It also ranked as the 10th best NCAA II time this season.
Nick Moran was a two-event winner and Mitch Fisher took top honors in the 5,000-meter run Saturday at the Tostrud Classic in Northfield, Minn., as the University of Minnesota Duluth engaged in its final tuneup before next weekend’s Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. Moran, a junior from Monticello, Minn., won both the shot put (14.82 meters) and the weight throw (17.15 meters) events with lifetime best marks, as well as another NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the weight throw, while Fisher, a sophomore from Andover, Minn., reigned in the 5,000-meter run with a lifetime best of 15:49.16. Bulldogs also received second-place finishes from senior Mitch Zuidema in the 5,000-meter run (15:51.55- lifetime best) and sophomore Appo Agbamu in the shot put (14.61 meters), who was also fifth in the weight throw (14.19 meters- lifetime best). Junior Scott Urban not only placed fourth in the 600-meter dash (1:23.87- lifetime best), but also teamed with sophomore Dustin Johantgen and freshmen Ben Hanson and Boston Braack to finish third in the 4 x 400 relay.
Women Track/Field:  Junior Amanda Boman reigned as the mile champion at the Minnesota State University Open in Mankato, Minn., Saturday and headlined a list of strong performances by the Bulldogs. Boman crossed the finish line in 5:18.06 en route to winning UMD’s only individual title on the day.

Minnesota State
No. 4 Minnesota State traveled to the University of Minnesota to take part in the Snowshoe Open on Friday. Senior Carmono Lane qualified for the finals with the fourth-best time in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.99 but did not compete in the finals. Sophomore Alex Lugo also met the provisional qualifying standard finishing in seventh place with a time of 1:55.23. In the 60-meter hurdles senior Slater Powell and freshman Myles Hunter had the top qualifying times in the prelims with times of 8.20 and 8.30 respectively. In the finals it was Hunter who finished in first place with a time of 8.03 while Slater finished just behind him in second place with a time of 8.25. In the high jump for the Purple and Gold senior Keyvan Rudd placed third clearing 6’ 8.75”. Freshman Frank Veldman leaped 6’ 6.75” placing him fifth. Freshman London Thurman had a leap of 45’ 0.5” in the triple jump finishing in second place.
The Minnesota State women’s track and field also traveled to the University of Minnesota this weekend to take part in the Parent’s Day open on Saturday. In the 200-meter dash the Mavericks took second and third place. Freshman Brieanna Puckett finished with a career-best time of 25.68 while sophomore Mackenzie Beals finished just behind her with a time of 26.10. Sophomore Maddie Sjelin placed third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.04. Junior Zevin Carter also placed third but in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.88. The 4x400-meter relay team of junior Jenni Vanttinen, freshman Taylor Glover, junior Madison Alexander, and freshman Taylor Naatz finished with a provisional-qualifying time of 3:51.12. That time currently ranks them 11th on the NCAA Division II qualifying list. In the high jump freshman Brianna Ziolkowski met the provisional-qualifying standard clearing 5’ 5.25”. Junior Anna Veroeven had a leap of 37’ 0.25” in the triple jump, good enough for a second-place finish.
Men’s Track:  Sophomore Alexander Schoneberger (Bemidji, Minn.) met the provisional-qualifying standard in the 800-meter run at the Snowshoe Open. His time of 1:54.60 places him third in the conference and is a career-best for the runner.
Men Field: Senior Chris Reed (Omaha, Neb.) set a new MSU school record in the weight throw and a new meet record in the shot put at the Snowshoe Open on Friday. Reeds throw in the weight throw was 67’ 7.5” surpassing the old record of 66’ 7”. He had a throw of 63’ 8.25” in the shot put finishing in first place.
Women Track:  Freshman Brieanna Puckett (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) ran a career-best time of 25.68 at the Parents Day Open on Saturday. That time was good enough for a second-place finish and currently is the fifth-best time in the conference.
Women Field:  Freshman Brianna Ziolkowski met the provisional qualifying standard in the high jump at the Parent’s Day Open on Saturday. The Hatley, Wis., native cleared 5’ 5.25” placing her tied for third in the conference.
 
MSU Moorhead
Men’s Track: The Minnesota State University Moorhead men’s 4x400 relay team ran a season-best time to finish second during competition at the University of Minnesota’s Snowshoe Open, which was held on Friday in Minneapolis, Minn. MSUM’s relay, consisting of senior Keith Turner, junior Ryan Olson, junior Kyle Kastello and junior Matt Loehr ran a season-best time of 3:17.78. That group finished second only behind a team from Minnesota, which ran a time of 3:15.03. MSUM’s time is 11th-best in NCAA Division II this season.
Men’s Field: Marshal Pederson (So., Jumps, East Grand Forks, Minn. / East Grand Forks HS) won three events at the Bemidji State Twilight meet on Thursday. Pederson won the high jump at 6-2 1/4. Pederson added a win in the long jump at 21-2 and also won the triple jump at 43-4 1/2 to give him three wins on the night.
Women’s Track: Tia Knight (Jr., Spring Valley, Calif. / Steele Canyon HS) ran a season-best time to finish second in the 60-meter dash at the Parents’ Day Open hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., on Saturday. She continued her outstanding season with a runner-up finish in the 60-meter dash, losing by .007 seconds at the line to Mary’s Kathryn Stewart.  Knight ran a personal-best time of 7.700 -- tied for best in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this year -- while Stewart had a time of 7.693.  That 7.70 time is tied for 20th-fastest in Division II this season. She was also seventh in the 200-meter dash.
Women’s Field: Chelsea Klemetson (Jr., Sabin, Minn.) cruised to a win in the high jump at the Bemidji State Twilight Meet. Her 5-7 winning jump is the second-best in the NSIC this season, and she is ranked 19th in Division II in that event.

Minot State
Minot State women’s and men’s track & field were idle this past weekend. They will now prep for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 28 and March 1.

Northern State
Men’s Track: Andrew Johnson (Jr., Aberdeen, S.D.) broke his own school record from a week ago in the 200 meters Friday at the Nebraska Tune-Up. Johnson placed ninth and ran a time of 22.17 in the race. Johnson held the record at 22.21 before. Johnson also placed 14th in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.03.
Men’s Field: Tyler Robel (So., Watertown, S.D.) took third place in the shot put at the meet. Robel recorded a throw of 46’-2.75” and and Robel was ninth in the weight throw with a throw of 41’-8”.
Women’s Track:  Makenzie Hageman (So., Watertown, S.D.) set a new school mark in the 60-meter dash for Northern state, running a time of 7.84 to finish eighth at the Nebraska Tune-Up. Current NSU assistant coach Lynne Nacke held the record at 7.88 prior to Hagman’s race. Hageman also placed 14th in the 200 dash at the meet, running a new career-best time of 25.85.
Women’s Field: Breann Jackson (So., Wheatland, Wyo.) won the weight throw for the Wolves at the Bemidji State Twilight, recording a throw of 54’-7.50”. Jackson also finished fourth in the shot put with a toss of 38’-5.50”.

Southwest Minnesota State
Men Track & Field: Freshman Dallin Finley (Kennesaw, Ga.) had a big day at the Beaver Twilight last Thursday in Bemidji, Minn., recording first place finishes in both the 60-meter (7.09) and 200-meter (22.98). His first place time in the 60-meter was a personal best. Freshman Amanda Grengs (Minneota, Minn.) took home first place in the mile with a time of 5:34.98 also finished second in the 1,000-meter with a time of 3:21.68 at the Beaver Twilight last Thursday in Bemidji, Minn.
Women Field: Freshman Rylee Armstrong (Peace River, Alberta, Canana) had an outstanding meet at the Beaver Twilight in Bemidji, winning the long jump with a mark of 5.11m (16-9.25) and also winning the triple jump with a mark of 11.11m (36-5.50). She finished fourth in the high jump at 1.49m (4-10.50)

Sioux Falls
The University of Sioux Falls track & field team had athletes competing this weekend in the USD Twilight Meet hosted by the University of South Dakota and the Snowshoe Open and Parents Day Open hosted by the University of Minnesota. The Cougars came away from the meet with six runner-up finishes and one event title as they will look to carry over that momentum into the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships in Bemidji, Minn. this weekend.  
Women Field:  In the women’s Pole Vault, the Cougars Katlyn Sawtelle finished second overall with her vault of 12-6 (3.81m). Sawtelle currently ranks 11th in DII and 3rd in the NSIC with her NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
Women Track: Kendra Knight brought home the individual title in the women’s 400m dash with her time of 56.74. Knight’s time is a NCAA provisional qualifying mark, the fastest time in the NSIC and the 22nd time fastest in Division II.
Men Track: Kaleb Lindsey-Stevens finished second in the 200m dash with his runner-up time of 22.13. Lindsey-Stevens also finished 2nd in the Long Jump with his leap of 22-4.25 (6.81m). He currently holds the second best marks in both events in the NSIC this season and has run the 22nd fastest 200m dash time in DII this year.
Men Field:  Scott Greenman finished second overall in the Pole Vault with his NCAA provisional qualifying vault of 16-6.75 (5.05m). Greenman currently holds the top vault mark in the NSIC and the 5th highest vault in DII.

St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State men’s track and field team competed at the Snowshoe open Friday, while the women’s team competed in the Parents’ Day Invite on Saturday. Both of the meets were hosted by the University of Minnesota.
Men’s Track: JoVonte Suber earned the second best finish in the 400m dash with a time of 49.42. Suber moves up in the conference rankings with his mark to second and provisionally qualifies for Nationals.
Men’s Field: Freshman Keyshawn Davis earned the Huskies sole individual title for the men in the long jump off a personal best mark of 23-07.25. With Davis’ mark in the long jump he now ranks first in the NSIC and provisionally qualifies for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Sophomore Ryan Johnson threw for a fifth place finish in the weight throw with a personal best and new school record of 63-04.25. He is now ranked second in the NSIC in the weight throw and earned an eighth place finish in the seeded shot put throwing 48-08.00. Freshmen Andrew Reid took eighth place in the triple jump as he jumped to a distance of 40-03.50.
Women’s Track: Patience Yalartai posted a fifth place finish in the 200m dash on a time of 26.19. Sophomore Alicia Evans earned a top-10 finish in the 400m dash, posting a time of 59.10.
Women’s Field: Earning the Huskies sole individual title for the women was freshman Patience Yalartai as she took the triple jump competition off a mark of 38-02.25. Yalartai’s mark is a new personal best that provisionally qualifies her for Nationals and now ranks her third in the NSIC. Sophomore Kellan Flynn took fourth in the high jump as she jumped to a height of 5-02.25, while sophomore Laure Olson hit a mark of 34-04.75 in the triple jump to earn an eighth place finish. The Huskies had three athletes earn top-10 finishes in the shot put as freshman Cassie Cardinal (44-10.25) place fourth, sophomore Heather Clankie (41-08.50) place eighth and junior Ashley Ritter (39-11.25) took 10th. Cardinal’s mark was a personal best that provisionally qualifies her for Nationals and continues to move up in the conference standings. Ritter also placed 10th in the weight throw off a mark of 46-07.25.  The Huskies will be back in action Feb. 27-March 1 as they head to Bemidji, Minnesota for the NSIC Indoor Championships.

Wayne State
Men’s Track: Zach Thomsen - (Junior, Wayne, NE) crossed the line first in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:58.02 and was part of the first place 4 x 400 meter relay team that recorded a time of 3:24.52 at the USD Twilight Open in Vermillion, SD on Friday.
Men’s Field: Bryan Dunn- (Sophomore, Coleridge, NE) recorded a fifth place finish in the weight throw with a season best mark of 54’ 10” at the USD Twilight Open.  He currently ranks #7 in the event in the NSIC.
Women’s Track: Alexis Guhl - (Senior, Omaha, NE) posted a third place finish in the 60 meter hurdles in 9.19 seconds at the USD Twilight Open, just missing her season best time of 9.15 seconds.
Women’s Field: Sara Wells - (Junior, Albion, NE) hit an NCAA Automatic Qualfiying Mark in the shot put at the USD Twilight Open on Friday in Vermillion, SD and became the first WSC women’s thrower to break the 50 foot barrier indoors in the shot put. She captured first place in the shot put with a new school record throw of 50’ 2 ½”.  It’s the third time she broke her own school record in the event this season and tops her previous school mark of 48’ 10” set at the Wildcat Open in Wayne on January 25th.  She is currently ranked #5 on the NCAA National list and leads teh NSIC by over a foot and a half.  She also finished sixth place in the weight throw at 53’ 7 ½”.

Winona State
Women’s Track: The Winona State 4x400 meter relay team improved its NCAA Division II Indoor Championship provisional qualifying time while placing second in the event Saturday at the Parent’s Day Open on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The Warrior squad of Kelsey Bethke, Taylor Vogel, Katie Bagley and Catherine Whitcomb recorded a time of 3:49.16 to finish second in the event, just 0.03 seconds behind first place University of Mary. The time was over three seconds better than the provisional mark the relay set earlier in the season.  WSU’s time was also 0.03 seconds off the school record time set last year. Winona State will compete next weekend at the NSIC Indoor Championship held in Bemidji, Minn.

Past NSIC Athletes of the Week
Men’s Field
12/10/13    Chris Reed, Minnesota State
1/13/14    Keyvan Rudd, Minnesota State
1/21/14    Chris Reed, Minnesota State (2)
1/28/14    Chris Reed, Minnesota State (3)
2/4/14    Chris Reed, Minnesota State (4)
2/10/14    Scott Greenman, Sioux Falls
2/18/14    Nathan Hancock, Minnesota State
2/25/14    Chris Reed, Minnesota State (5)

Men’s Track
12/10/13     Harald Karbo, Augustana
1/13/14    Jerrell Hancock, Minnesota State
1/21/14    Cole Toepfer, Minnesota Duluth
1/28/14    George Kawalawu, St. Cloud State
2/4/14    Jerrell Hancock, Minnesota State (2)
2/10/14     Harald Karbo, Augustana (2)
2/18/14    Myles Hunter, Minnesota State
2/25/14    Aduo Omot, Augustana

Women’s Field
12/10/13    Brigitte Gross, Sioux Falls
1/13/14    Brigitte Gross, Sioux Falls (2)
1/21/14    Hannah Mueller, Winona State
1/28/14    Sara Wells, Wayne State
2/4/14    Carly Fehringer, Wayne State
2/10/14    Kelsey Kaufmann, Augustana
2/18/14    Amelia Maher, Minnesota Duluth
2/25/14    Sara Wells, Wayne State (2)

Women’s Track
12/10/13    Kristin Brondbo, Augustana
1/13/14    Zevin Carter, Minnesota State
1/21/14    Cassandra Jones, University of Mary
1/28/14    Kayla Mescher, Augustana
2/4/14    Samantha Rivard, Minneosta Duluth
2/10/14    Kendra Knight, Sioux Falls
2/18/14    Holly Suss, Minnesota State
2/25/14    Kathryn Stewart, University of Mary

NSIC Indoor Championships
Fri.-Sat., Feb.28-March 1 - Gillett Rec Center
Bemidji, Minn.