BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its Men’s Track & Field Athletes of the Week on Tuesday and Gustavus earned a couple honors. Taylor Rooney (So., Andover, Minn.) was named Track Athlete of the Week and Michael Hensch (Sr., North Branch, Minn.) was selected as the Field Athlete of the Week.
Rooney set the Gustavus school record in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.29, taking first place at the Carleton Relays. The time broke a 10-year-old record by two-tenths of a second. Rooney currently ranks second in NCAA Division III in the event by one one-hundredth of a second. Rooney was also a member of the first-place 4×100 relay team and took second in both the 100-meter and high jump. Two days prior to the Carleton Relays, Rooney took first in the 110 hurdles at the Tomcat Twilight.
Hensch set the Gustavus school record in the hammer throw with a heave of 200-4 at the Carleton Relays to take first place. The mark broke a 20-year-old record set by Gustavus Hall of Famer Aaron Smith (194-8), who won the national title in 1999. Hensch currently ranks fifth in NCAA Division III in the hammer. He also took first in the discus and javelin, and placed second in the shot. Two days prior to the Carleton Relays, Hensch won both the discus and hammer at St. Thomas’ Tomcat Twilight.