Men’s Preview
The Gustavus men’s indoor track and field team will look to build on its fourth place finish from last season and return to the top-five of the conference at the 2011 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by St. Thomas in St. Paul on March 3-5.
The Gusties currently have ten individuals ranked in the top-10 on the MIAC performance lists heading into the meet. Individuals ranking first in their respective events include Blair Riegal, Josh Owens, and Carl Stenoien. Riegal is the runner to beat in the 200-meter dash, entering with a top time of 22.78. He will also look to score points in the jumps, entering the meet ranked second in the long jump (22’ 5”) and third in the triple jump (45’ 4.50”).
Owens is currently ranked first in the pole vault, clearing 14’ 8” at the Meet of Hearts on Feb. 12.
Stenoien comes in poised to score points in several field events. Stenoien is currently the top competitor in the heptathlon, entering with a score of 4254. He also ranks sixth in the long jump (21’ 3.50”), and eighth in both the high jump (6’ 0.75”) and pole vault (14’ 2”).
Matt Dvorak is the squad’s top sprinter, ranking second in both the 55-meter dash and the 200-meter dash with times of 6.65 and 22.95, respectively. Other individuals looking to place in the track events include Mark Bartley, Matt Leeb, Eric Jorgenson, and Grant Rorem. Bartley ranks fourth in the 5000-meter run (15:41.06), Leeb ranks ninth in the 200-meter dash (23.10) and 10th in the 400-meter dash (51.42), Jorgenson ranks 10th in the 600-meter run (1:16.12), and Rorem ranks 10th in the 55-meter hurdles (8.27).
Other individuals looking to score points in the field events include Cameron Clause and Mark Stice. Clause ranks second in the pole vault (14’ 8”), while Stice is ninth in the weight throw (80’ 11”).
Women’s Preview
After three consecutive seasons of finishing runner-up to the St. Thomas, the Gustavus women’s indoor track and field team is set for a return to the top of the conference at the 2011 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships held in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex on the campus of the University of St. Thomas March 3-5.
The Gusties currently have 12 competitors ranking in the top-10 on the MIAC performance lists heading into the meet. Top competitors returning to the track for the Gusties include Janey Helland, Abby Karl, and Sam Broderius. Helland will look to score points in both the track and field events. She enters the meet as the top competitor in the pentathlon and long jump, automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships in both with a score of 3503 and a leap of 18’ 9.25”. Helland is also ranked second in the high jump with a mark of 5’ 3.25”.
Sam Broderius is Gustavus’ top thrower, ranking first in the shot put with an NCAA provisional mark of 42’ 2.75”, and sixth in the weight throw 48’ 8”.
Abby Karl is the top runner entering the conference meet, ranking first in the 600-meter dash with a time of 1:37.60, and fourth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:20.32.
Megan Lundgren has recorded a top-10 time in three running events, including the 1000-meter run (3rd, 3:03.62), 800-meter run (5th, 2:20.34), and 600-meter dash (8th, 1:46.11). Beth Hauer is the top distance runner, ranking third in the 3000-meter run (10:27.29) and fourth in the 5000-meter run (17:50.14). Brooke Beskau rounds out the group, sitting in ninth in the 5000-meter run (18:40.82).
Lauren Rothschiller, Madeline Schmitz, and Anna McDevitt will look to place in the jumps. Rothschiller ranks sixth in the triple jump (35’ 4”), Schmitz ranks seventh in the high jump (5’ 2.25”), and McDevitt ranks eighth in the triple jump (34’ 7.75”).
Others looking to score points in the field events include Megan Endresen, Emily Ford, and Ally Voss. Endresen has the sixth best toss in the weight throw (49’ 0.25”), and Ford is sixth in the shot put (39’ 2.25”). Voss ranks sixth in the pole vault with a mark of 10’ 6.25”.
The 2011 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will begin at 2:00 and 2:15 pm Thursday, March 3 with the women’s and men’s pentathlon. The meet will continue at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.