Thomas, Bastiaens get NCAA runner-up finishes

May 22, 2003
Two NCAA runner-up placings let St. Thomas score eight team points in both the men's and women's divisions at Thursday's opening day of the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships in Canton, N.Y.

Junior Joe Thomas cleared 6-11 in the high jump for second place. That was a season best for Thomas, a transfer from Purdue competing in his first Division III national meet. The Tommies are tied for fifth place in the men's race through day one.

On the women's side, the Tommies are tied for sixth place, thanks to junior Karolien Bastiaens' second-place 12-0 3/4 height in the pole vault. Bastiaens has placed at nationals in the 2002 outdoor, 2003 indoor and 2003 outdoor.

The Tommies advanced both their men's and women's 4x400 relays to Saturday's nine-team finals. The men's unit of Andrew Hilliard, Carson Glad, Robert Ware and Jason Schwietz has the fastest qualifying time of 3:12.31 -- just off their MIAC and school record of 3:12.30 set at the 2002 nationals. The UST women's team of Jill Ylonen, Mollie Hupp, Teresa Smock and Heidi Vogel have the third-best time of 3:49.19.

Both Tommie 4x100 teams failed to qualify for the finals. The men's team of Tom Hart, Roman Cress, Cassidy Glad and Carson Glad came in with the fastest time in the nation of 40.85 but were disqualified in their prelim heat. The women's team of Bastiaens, Ylonen, Alicia Wolff and Vogel ran 48.35 but took seventh in their heat.

Two other Toms failed to make the finals -- Hilliard ran 54.11 for seventh in his heat of the 400 hurdles, and Carson Glad ran 22.34 and failed to advance in the 200 meters.

On Friday, Hupp and Smock will run the women's 800-meter prelims and Schwietz will run the men's 400-meter prelims.

NCAA Division III Track & Field
Day 1 of 3

Men's Team Leaders
1. UW-Oshkosh 13; 2. UW-Platteville 11; 3. Wheaton 10; 4. MIT 8.5; 5. (tie) St. Thomas, Keene State, UW-LaCrosse 8; 8 (tie) Gustavus, Whittier, Chicago 6.
Men's MIAC Placewinners
--High Jump-2. Joe Thomas, St. Thomas, 6-11;
--Discus-3. Luke Speltz, Gustavus, 175-3

Women's Team Leaders
1. UW-LaCrosse 11; 2. (tie) Richard Stockton, McMurry, Keene State, Johns Hopkins 10; 6. (tie) St. Thomas, RIT, Geneseo, Calvin 8; 16 (tie) Gustavus 4; 24. (tie) Carleton 2
Women's MIAC Placewinners
--Pole Vault--2. Karolien Bastiaens, St. Thomas, 12-0 3/4.
--Discus--5.. Kristin Petersen, Gustavus, 147-1
--10,000 Meters--7, Laura Bloedorn, Carleton, 35:35.2


see St. Lawrence U. official meet home page here