Theisen gets hurdles record, UST men 5th at NCAAs

May 24, 2008

St. Thomas senior P.J. Theisen broke the school and MIAC all-time best in the 400 hurdles Saturday as he took third in 51.92 to help the Tommies place fifth in the men's team race at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships in Oshkosh, Wis.

Theisen placed eighth in Thursday's long jump and closed his career as a seven-time All-American. UST also got a first Friday in the hammer from Mark O'Connell and a second Thursday in the discus from Derek Marks. Junior Matt Boumeester placed 11th in Saturday's 1,500.

McMurray (Tex.) won the men's team race with 35 points. UW-River Falls and Illinois Wesleyan tied for first in the women's race at 35, one point ahead of Wartburg.

Theisen broke a 10-year-old school record of 52.18 held by Mark Warder. He also broke a 20-year-old best of 52.09 by his head coach, Steve Mathre, then a sophomore NCAA runner-up at St. Olaf. St. John's Mike Leither clocked 51.97 at the 2007 nationals to take second in what was the previous conference record.

For the Tommie women, senior Selena Dehn took seventh in the triple jump in 38-5, and sophomore Erin Sprangers took seventh in the 800 in 2:11.10. UST's 4x400 relay placed ninth in 3:53.81. Senior Shara Guidry placed ninth in the shot put in 44-0 1-2.

Click here for complete results:

http://www.titans.uwosh.edu/2008NCAATFChampionships/index.html

NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships

Day 3 of 3/Oshkosh, Wis.

Final Men's Top 10 and MIAC teams

McMurry (Tex.) 35; SUNY-Cortland 33; Whitworth (Wash.) 31; Mount Union (Ohio) 27; St. Thomas 25; Wartburg (Iowa) 25; UW-Oshkosh 23; St. John's 23; Emory (Ga.) 23; Monmouth (Ill.) 22. Others: tie 69. Carleton 2, Bethel 2

Saturday MIAC Placewinners

--400 Hurdles: 3. P.J. Theisen, St. Thomas, 51.92; 7. Tom Ballinger, Carleton, 52.16

--5,000: 2. Chris Erichsen, St. John's, 14:35.34

--4x400: 7. Bethel (Taylor Ferda, Zach Schlegel, Eric Rhode, Josh Otto) 3:14.77       

--Triple Jump: 7. Eric Buss, St. John's, 47-6 1/2   

Women's Final Top 10 and MIAC teams

UW-River Falls 35; Illinois Wesleyan 35; Wartburg (Iowa) 34; Keene State (N.H.) 29; Roanoke (Va.) 27; McMurry (Tex.) 25; UW-Platteville 24; UW-Oshkosh 24; Redlands 23; Texas Lutheran 23, Messia (Pa.) 23; Chicago 23. Others: tie 15. Gustavus 18; tie 44. Bethel 6; tie 59. Concordia-Moorhead 4.5; tie 60. St. Thomas

Saturday MIAC Placewinners

--Javelin: 1. Lisa Brown, Gustavus, 174-5

--Triple Jump: 7. Selina Dehn, St. Thomas, 38-5

--1,500: 3. Marie Borner, Bethel, 4:27.52

--800: 7. Erin Sprangers, St. Thomas, 2:11.10