Gustavus Adolphus College

KNUJ AM 960 Oldies 95.5 eScores.com College Sporting News SPX Sports

Sunday, May 14, 2006 (2 years ago)

The Gustavus Adolphus women's track and field team finished second while the men's team finished third as this year's MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships wrapped up Saturday at O'Shaughnessy Stadium on the campus of University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Host St. Thomas swept both titles for the sixth time in eight years.

The Gustavus women used eight top-three finishes in 15 events led by senior Kourtney Joyce (Wadena, Minn.), who broke her own school and meet records with a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10:52.8 to win the 3000 steeplechase. First-year Lisa Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn.) captured the javelin throw with a NCAA provisional qualifying attempt of 136-11, breaking the school-record of 136-3 she set earlier this season. Senior Blythe Bittman (Fairmont, Minn.) finished fourth in the javelin with a toss of 113-6.

Set up by strong qualifying performances Friday night, the Gustie women fared well in the sprints and middle-distance races. Senior Ashley Cronen (Kandiyohi, Minn.) finished second in the 800 run with a time of 2:15.45 to top the list. Carlie Hanson (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) added a third-place finish in the 400 hurdles (1:04.63), while Bittman finished sixth in the 200 (:26.51) and first-year McKenzie Burgess (Welcome, Minn.) finished seventh in the 400 (:60.62). Funto Okanla (So., St. Paul, Minn.) and Kelsey Becker (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) both picked up points in the 100, with Okanla placing fifth (:12.86) and Becker finishing eighth (:13.83).

In other field events Saturday, Sari Lindeman (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.) finished second in the triple jump with a leap of 36-10 ½, while Shanna Dawson (So, Fairmont, Minn.) and Janna Castellano (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) finished second and fourth in the pole vault by clearing NCAA provisional qualifying heights of 11-7 and 11-3, respectively.

In the two relays contested on the day, the Gusties finished second in the 4x100 relay with a time of :49.89, while finishing third in the 4x400 relay with a 3:57.55 clocking.

On the men's side, junior Tanner Miest (New London, Minn.) remained unbeaten in the 110 hurdles this season, repeating as MIAC Champion with a school-record and NCAA provisional qualifying time of :14.53. Tyler Geyen (Fy., Watertown, Minn.) also competed in the 110 hurdle final, finishing fifth in a time of :15.27.

Ben Treichel (So., Webster, Wis.) posted a second-place finish in the 400 (:49.21) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 (:22.88) after teaming with Adam Caulfield (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.), Matt Wittman (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), and Chad Arlt (Fy., St. Michael, Minn.) to win the 4x100 relay in a time of :43.49. The Gusties benefited as a couple of teams met with some misfortune during the race. Top-seeded St. Thomas dropped the baton and the Saint John's anchor runner led but slowed up late due to a cramp and finished third.

Andy Klaers (Jr., Delano, Minn.) finished second in the discus throw (160-3) and third in the hammer throw (158-9), while Joe Atkinson (Sr., Lake Crystal, Minn.) added a seventh-place finish in the discus (134-4). Jered Hokenson (Jr., Watertown, Minn.) and John Retka (Fy., Shoreview, Minn.) posted fourth-place finishes in the high jump and triple jump, respectively. Hokenson cleared 6-2, while Retka recorded a leap of 43-8 ¾. Trevor Wittwer (So., Redwood Falls, Minn.) finished seventh in the triple jump with an effort of 43-2 ½.

The MIAC Championships marks the end of the season for most of the Gustavus track and field squad. Eight women and two men have reached provisional qualifying standards for the 2006 NCAA Track and Field Championships in Lisle, Illinois. Final selections for this year's championships will be announced Sunday, May 21.

Men's Results
Women's Results