Gustavus Adolphus College sophomore Lisa Brown (Lake Crystal, Minn./Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial) placed second in the javelin throw and junior Sari Lindeman (Cannon Falls, Minn.) took eighth in the triple jump Saturday at the 2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Oshkosh, Wis. Brown, the defending national champion in the event, uncorked a season-best throw of 152 feet, 3 inches on her final attempt, while Lindeman equalled her own school record with a leap of 37-8. Brown earned All-America honors for the second consecutive season, while Lindeman brings home the honor for the first time.
Brown posted a throw of 150-5 on her first attempt to take first place in her flight. Alicia Whisner of Central (Iowa) took first in the other flight with a stadium record throw of 153-9. In the finals, Whisner was unable to improve on her effort, while Brown’s final throw came up 18 inches short of the mark set by Whisner.
Like last season, Brown saved her best throw of the year for last. She won the national championship and set the school record at the 2006 NCAA outdoor meet with a Division III season-best throw of 154-6.
Brown also placed behind Whisner at the 2007 Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, in late April. Brown took 13th with a best effort of 138-6, while Whisner took sixth with a throw of 158-5. Brandi McNeil of Wheaton (Ill.) entered with the best throw in Division III at 161-11 but finished fifth with a best effort of 145-3.
Lindeman posted only the fifth-best qualifying effort in her flight with her school-record-tying 37-8, but was one of nine competitors to advance to the finals. She was unable to improve on her qualifying effort with any of her final three jumps but still held on for eighth place and All-America honors. Alecia Watson of the City College of New York won the NCAA title with a stadium-record leap of 39-10 3/4 on her second pass down the runway.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men easily outdistanced the field to capture the team title for a record 11th time and for the seventh time in the past eight years. The Eagles racked up 99 points en route to the title, well ahead of runner-up Cortland State (N.Y.) with 34. The Gustavus men, behind Andy Klaers’ fifth-place finish in the discus throw, tied for 49th place with four points.
On the women’s side, host University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh edged Calvin College (Mich.) for its second consecutive title and the eighth in school history. The Titans accumulated 57 points while Calvin posted a total of 44.5 points. The Gustavus women tied for 28th place with nine points.
2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships Official Web Site