After finishing runner-up the previous five seasons, the Gustavus women’s outdoor track and field team is set to challenge front-runner St. Thomas for the 2010 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship on March 14-15 in Winona, Minn. Head Coach Dale Bahr’s squad success is based on the strong foundation in the field events, as the squad returns five All-Conference performers from a year ago.
Janey Helland (Mapleton, Minn.), Sam Broderius (Hector, Minn.), and Kaelene Lundstrum (Bird Island, Minn.) will look to lead the Gusties in their quest for a MIAC Championship. Helland, last season’s MIAC champion in the long jump will look to regain her crown this Spring, as she is currently ranked first in the event (5.55m). Helland also ranks second in the high jump (1.60m), third in the 400-meter hurdles (66.09), and tenth in the javelin (31.87). Broderius was last year’s MIAC Championships Field Athlete of the Meet after winning the shot put and discus. She currently ranks first in the MIAC in both events with a toss of 13.02 meters in the shot put and 44.95 meters in the discus. Lundstrum, last season’s MIAC champion in the heptathlon has had a quiet Spring, but currently ranks fifth in the high jump (1.60m), sixth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.68), and eighth in the shot put (12.07m).
Other top Gustavus competitors in the field events include Sarah Baker (Roseville, Minn.), Becca Bryson (Alden, Minn.), and Allyson Voss (Wausau, Wis.). Baker ranks fourth in both the long jump (5.29m) and high jump (1.60), while also ranking ninth in the 200-meter dash (26.35). Bryson ranks fourth in the javelin (35.43m), sixth in the long jump (5.21m), and eighth in the triple jump (10.60m). Voss is the third ranked poll vaulter in the MIAC, clearing 3.42 meters.
Gustavus will look for strong races from Danielle Burgmeier (Plymouth, Minn.), Laura Secor (Stillwater, Minn.), Vanessa Jones (Grand Forks, N.D.), Brooke Beskau (Hastings, Minn.), and Amanda Iverson (Waconia, Minn.). Burgmeier currently has the second fastest 400-meter dash in the conference at 58.53, while ranking eighth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 67.76. Secor, last year’s champion in the 400-meter hurdles currently ranks sixth (66.90) in the event. She also ranks sixth in the 1500 meter run (4:49.17). Jones ranks sixth in the steeplechase (11:52.28), Beskau ranks eighth in the 10,000-meter run (39:12.91), and Iverson ranks eighth in the 400-meter dash (59.42).
The MIAC Championships will begin on Friday, May 14, at 2:00pm with the men’s javelin and long jump, and women’s discus and pole vault.