Release courtesy of Matt Higgins – MIAC Assistant Executive Director
St. Paul – The Gustavus track and field teams got a final tune-up for the conference championships over the weekend, when they traveled to St. Paul for the Macalester Pre-MIAC Meet. It appears the Gusties – particularly thrower Sarah Swanson (Fairbanks, Alaska) – are ready for the MIAC Championships. The sophomore won the shot put Saturday with a new personal best, and a distance that ranks among the conference and national leaders in 2014. For her performance, Swanson was named the MIAC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week.
Swanson’s winning throw -and new personal best – traveled a distance of 45-2.25 feet to help her beat MIAC foes from Macalester, Hamline, St. Catherine, Augsburg and Bethel. Her throw eclipsed her old personal best by four inches. That throw now ranks second in the MIAC as one of the only two performances to best 45 feet, and it ranks No. 9 in all of NCAA Division III. In the MIAC, Swanson only trails Concordia’s Cherae Reeves – a reigning All-American – an her throw of 46-7.25.
Gustavus hopes Swanson and its other athletes continue their tremendous season this weekend at the 2014 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The meet will be held Friday and Saturday in Collegeville, Minn., and will be co-hosted by Saint John’s and Saint Benedict.