Junior Kaelene Lundstrum

Sophomore Sam Broderius

The Gustavus women’s track and field team used three top-eight results to finish a program-best sixth place with 27 points on the final day of the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Marietta, Ohio. Wartburg College won the team title with 52 points. Kaelene Lundstrum (Jr., Bird Island, Minn.) and Sam Broderius (So., Hector, Minn.) finished second in the high jump and seventh in the shot put, respectively, while the 4×400 meter relay placed eighth.

Kaelene Lundstrum cleared a season-best height of 5 feet, 7 inches on her final attempt to earn second place in the high jump. Ashley Huston of Hardin-Simmons won the event at the same height, but achieved it on her first attempt to win the title. Lundstrum completed the NCAA Championships with All-America status in the heptathlon and the high jump.

Sophomore Sam Broderius (Hector, Minn.) finished seventh in the shot put after posting a mark of 43 feet, 6 inches, while Lisa Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn.) placed 17th with a distance of 40 feet, 8 3/4 inches. Monique Riddick of Montclair State took first place at 51 feet, 9 inches. Broderius also garnered multiple All-America honors by placing in the top eight of the discus and the shot put.

The 4×400 meter relay team of Danielle Burgmeier (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.), Abby Karl (So., St. Cloud, Minn.), Elizabeth Pringle (Sr., Northfield, Minn.), and Lundstrum finished eighth in the event finals with a time of 3:54.47 to earn All-America recognition.

The Gusties finished the 2009 NCAA Championships with All-America honors in six events, including the javelin, the discus, the shot put, the heptathlon, the high jump, and the 4×400 meter relay, which is the most in program history. The previous record was four earned at the 1998 NCAA Championships in the 100 meters, the shot put, the hammer throw, and the 4×400 meter relay.

NCAA Championships Website

Lisa Brown won her third NCAA javelin title on Thursday.

Kaelene Lundstrum is in second place after the first day of the heptathlon.

Gustavus Adolphus senior Lisa Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn.) won her third national javelin title at the 2009 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships with a stadium record effort of 158 feet on Thursday afternoon. Brown, who also finished second in 2007, is the second female athlete in NCAA Division III history to win three national javelin championships joining Renee Erickson of Concordia-Moorhead. The NCAA Championships are being hosted by Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.

After the first day of the heptathlon, Kaelene Lundstrum (Jr., Bird Island, Minn.) sits in second place with 3,020 points after finishing first in the shot put (41-8 1/2), tying for second in the high jump (5-5 3/4), tying for eighth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.47), and 11th in the 200 meters (26.99). The 2009 MIAC Pentathlon and Heptathlon Champion trails Ashley Huston of Hardin-Simmons by 84 points heading into the final day of competition, which includes the long jump, javelin, and 800 meters, on Friday afternoon.

The 4×400 meter relay finished second in the third preliminary heat with a time of 3:50.65 to qualify for the event finals on Saturday at 3:55 p.m. (CDT). Members of the relay include Danielle Burgmeier (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.), Abby Karl (So., St. Cloud, Minn.), Elizabeth Pringle (Sr., Northfield, Minn.), and Lundstrum.

NCAA Championships Website

Lisa Brown Championship Interview

Head Track and Field Coach Tom Thorkelson

Thorkelson has served as head coach for ten years.

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has selected Tom Thorkelson as the 2009 Division III Central Region Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year. Thorkelson was one of eight coaches to receive regional coach of year honors and is now eligible for Division III National Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year.

In his tenth season as head coach at Gustavus and 24th season overall, Thorkelson led the Gusties to a second-place showing at the 2009 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with the highest point total in school history at 173 points. Gustavus also achieved nine NCAA provisional or automatic qualifying marks this season under his guidance. Thorkelson was honored as the MIAC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of Year last week.

Ten men’s and women’s track and field student-athletes have qualified for eight individual events and two relays at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Marietta College on May 21-23.

USTFCCCA Release

Senior Lisa Brown

Junior Kaelene Lundstrum

Sophomore Sam Broderius

Six members of the Gustavus women’s track and field team have been selected to participate in the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships which will be held May 21-23 at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. That group includes senior Lisa Brown (javelin and shot put), junior Kaelene Lundstrum, (heptathlon, high jump, and 4×400 meter relay), sophomore Sam Broderius (discus and shot put), senior Elizabeth Pringle (4×400 meter relay), sophomore Abby Karl (4×400 meter relay), and first year Danielle Burgmeier (4×400 meter relay). Brown will be making her fourth consecutive appearance at the national outdoor meet, while Lundstrum will be making her second straight appearance. It will be the first trip to the NCAA Championships for Broderius, Pringle, Karl, and Burgmeier.

Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn.), who won the NCAA javelin title in 2006 and 2008 and finished second in 2007, enters this year’s meet ranked second in Division III this season at 161 feet. Brown finished third at the Drake Relays with a distance of 161 feet and captured her fourth consecutive MIAC title with a distance of 157 feet, 10 inches. In the shot put, Brown ranks 18th in Division III at 43 feet, 4 1/2 inches. She will compete in the javelin on Thursday at 12:00 pm (CDT) and in the shot put on Saturday at 1:30 pm (CDT).

Lundstrum (Bird Island, Minn.) will be busy in Marietta, Ohio as she will be participating in the heptathlon on Thursday and Friday, the 4×400 meter relay trials on Thursday at 6:25 pm (CDT), and the high jump on Saturday at 2:30 pm. Lundstrum won the MIAC title in the pentathlon with 4,550 points, and finished second in the high jump at 5 feet, 4 1/4 inches. She enters the national meet ranked fifth in the heptathlon with 4,550 points and sixth in the high jump at a height of 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches. Last year at the NCAA Championships, Lundstrum finished second in the heptathlon with 4,762 points.

Broderius (Hector, Minn.) will be making her first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She won MIAC titles in the shot put and discus with distances of 44 feet, 8 3/4 inches and 148 feet, 3 inches, respectively. Broderius was honored by the MIAC Track and Field Coaches with the Outstanding Field Athlete of the Meet for her winning effort in both events. She enters the national meet ranked seventh in the shot put and eighth in the discus. Broderius will compete in the discus on Friday at 12:30 pm (CDT) and in the shot put on Saturday at 1:30 pm (CDT).

The 4×400 meter relay team of Abby Karl, Danielle Burgmeier, Elizabeth Pringle, and Lundstrum head to the national outdoor meet ranked 15th with a time of 3:53.16. The relay trials will be held on Thursday at 6:25 pm (CDT).

NCAA Championships Website

Senior Lisa Brown

Brown looks to contend for her third national javelin title.

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has selected Gustavus Adolphus senior Lisa Brown as the 2009 Division III Central Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. Brown was one of eight student-athletes to receive regional athlete of year honors and is now eligible for Division III National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.

Brown heads into the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships looking for her third national title in the javelin with the Division’s second-best mark, an automatic qualifying distance of 161 feet (49.08m) achieved in a third-place finish at the Drake Relays. Brown won her fourth MIAC championship in the javelin by over 20 feet and finished third in the shot put and fourth in the discus. She will compete in both the shot put and the javelin at this weekend’s NCAA Championships.

Brown is the daughter of Steve and Loree Brown of Lake Crystal, Minn. and is a 2005 graduate of Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial High School.

USTFCCCA Release

Tom Thorkelson was named the MIAC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

Gustavus Adolphus College women’s track and field coach Tom Thorkelson has been selected as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Thorkelson led the Gusties to a second-place finish at the MIAC Championships last weekend. Gustavus won seven individual events as it compiled 173 points, which is the highest point total in program history. The Gusties’ depth accounted for the strong finish at the conference meet as the team posted seven first place finishes, three second place finishes, five third place finishes, two fourth place finishes, and three fifth place finishes. Thorkelson is in his tenth season leading Gustavus.

Sam Broderius is looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the shot put and discus.

Gustavus Adolphus sophomore Sam Broderius (Hector, Minn.) has been named the Outstanding Women’s Field Athlete at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships after winning titles in the discus and the shot put.
Broderius captured the shot put title with a NCAA provisional distance of 44 feet, 8 3/4 inches and the discus title with a NCAA provisional distance of 148 feet, 3 inches. She currently ranks sixth in the shot put among Division III competitors, while being ranked eighth nationally in the discus.

Broderius helped Gustavus compile 173 points as a team, the most in program history, en route to placing second at the MIAC Championships last weekend.

The Gusties’ depth accounted for the strong finish at the conference meet as the team posted seven first place finishes, three second place finishes, five third place finishes, two fourth place finishes, and three fifth place finishes. Fourteen of those finishes were in field events and six were in running events.

Gustavus claimed event championships in five field events and two track events. Sam Broderius won titles in the shot put and discus, while senior Lisa Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn.) claimed her fourth consecutive outdoor title in the javelin with a NCAA automatic distance of 157 feet, 10 inches. Brown also added a third place finish in the shot put (41-2 1/4) and a fourth place finish in the discus (129-3). Janey Helland (So., Mapleton, Minn.) broke a ten-year old school record in the long jump by 1/4 inch with a NCAA provisional leap of 18 feet, 2 1/2 inches to take first place in the event. Senior Aryn Bell (Eden Prairie, Minn.) won the 100-meter hurdles with a NCAA provisional time of 14.94 to better the school record she set one week prior. Laura Secor (So., Stillwater, Minn.) captured top honors in the 400-meter hurdles as she crossed the finish line with a time of 1:04.04. Kaelene Lundstrum (Jr., Bird Island, Minn.) won the heptathlon with 4,550 points on May 8.

Other top finishers in field events included Meredith Halling (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) finishing third in the pole vault (10-10 3/4), Kaelene Lundstrum taking fourth in the shot put (40-6 1/4), Becca Bryson (Jr., Alden, Minn.) placing third in the triple jump (35-1 1/4) and seventh in the javelin (110-3), Anna Bauer (Jr., Hastings, Minn.) finishing fifth in the discus (124-5) and sixth in the hammer throw (143-1), and Laura Lynch (Sr., Waunakee, Wis.) placing fifth in the triple jump (34-11 3/4).

In addition to Bell winning the 100-meter hurdles, Kaelene Lundstrum and Laura Sjoberg (Fy., Eagan, Minn.) placed sixth (15.69) and seventh (15.82), respectively. Brooke Beskau (So., Hastings, Minn.) posted a pair of top eight as she placed seventh in the 5,000 meters (18:18.36) and eighth in the 10,000 meters (37:56.52). Janey Helland also finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 66.44.

Other top finishes in the running events included Elizabeth Pringle (Sr., Northfield, Minn.) finishing fifth in the 400 meters (59.10), Linda Kanne (Sr., Franklin, Minn.) placing sixth in the 100 meters (13.02), Megan Lundgren (So., Mankato, Minn.) finishing sixth in the 800 meters (2:22.95), and Danielle Burgmeier (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.).

The Gusties also performed well in the relays posting two second place finishes. The 4×400 relay consisting of Danielle Burgmeier, Abby Karl (So., St. Cloud, Minn.), Elizabeth Pringle, and Kaelene Lundstrum recorded a NCAA provisional time of 3:53.16 and the 4×800 relay consisting of Laura Secor, Danielle Burgmeier, Abby Karl, and Megan Lundgren recorded a time of 9:30.57.

Several Gustavus tracksters will now wait to see if their NCAA provisional qualifying times are good enough to get them into the NCAA Outdoor Championships which will take place at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio on May 21-23.

MIAC Championship Results

The 2009 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships are being held at Carleton College.

Lisa Brown looks to become a four-time conference champion in the javelin.

Sam Broderius is a threat to win titles in discus, shot put, and hammer throw.

Aryn Bell set a school record in the 100-meter hurdles last weekend and has the top MIAC time in the event.

The Gustavus women’s track and field team will take participate in the MIAC Outdoor Championships this Friday and Saturday at Carleton College. The Gusties finished second at the outdoor meet a year ago and placed second at the indoor championships in March. Coach Tom Thorkelson’s squad will attempt to use its talent and depth to sneak past St. Thomas into the top spot this year. The meet begins at 2:00 pm on Friday and then on Saturday, events begin at 1:00 pm.

The Gustavus Adolphus women’s outdoor track and field team is poised to challenge for the 2009 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship title with one of the strongest contingents fielded by Coach Tom Thorkelson. The question is whether its depth in field events paired with key results in track events will be enough to overtake St. Thomas.

Senior Lisa Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn.) will lead the Gusties as the two-time NCAA javelin champion looks to finish her career as a four-time conference champion in the event. Brown, who ranks second in Division III in the javelin (161-0), has emerged as one of the premier all-around throwers in the conference as she is seeded second in the shot put (43-4

Kaelene Lundstrum

Gustavus Adolphus junior Kaelene Lundstrum (Bird Island, Minn./BOLD) was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week for the week ending May 3, 2009. Lundstrum captured first place in the MIAC Heptathlon with a seven event point total of 4,550 points. The score was an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and ranks fifth among Division III competitors. This is the second consecutive multi-event title for Lundstrum as she took top honors in the MIAC Pentathlon during the 2009 indoor season.

Lundstrum will compete at the MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 8-9 at Carleton College.