Men, Women sweep MIAC track team titles

March 6, 2004
Two milestones were reached as the St. Thomas men and women repeated as team champions Saturday at the 2004 MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships in Collegeville.

It was the 20th victory in 20 all-time competitions for the Tommie men, who tied an MIAC record for consecutive conference team championships set by the St. Olaf men's swimming team (20 from 1980-99). The 20-win streak is tied for the third in Division III for the longest active streak of conference titles.

The Tommie women won for the fifth year in a row and 17th time in 20 seasons. Coach Joe Sweeney won his 50th MIAC women's team title in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in his 25-year coaching career.

In the men's race, the Toms won by 77.5 points over runner-up St. Olaf and surpassed 200 points. The Tommies scored in all 20 events and tallied 203.5 points to outscore St. Olaf (126), St. John's (116), Carleton (73), Gustavus (60), Augsburg (50), Hamline (40), Bethel (39), Macalester (37), Concordia (29.5) and St. Mary's (6).

Coach Steve Mathre's team won just five events but had 32 different athletes score points

The Tommie women scored 146 for a 52-point win. St. Thomas had six firsts, scored in 18 of 20 events, and had 15 different athletes score. Gustavus (94), Concordia (93), St. Ben's (77.5), Carleton (75), St. Olaf (68.5), Augsburg (67), Hamline (46), Macalester (44), St. Mary's (42), St. Catherine (17) and Bethel (10) rounded out the 12-team field.

The sweep gives St Thomas its fifth and sixth MIAC team championships of 2003-2004 and 280th all-time conference team crown. Earlier this school year the Tommies captured conference titles in volleyball, golf and hockey on the women's side and cross country on the men's side.

St. Thomas will send 7-10 athletes to next weekend's NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Whitewater, Wis. The final qualifiers will be set late Monday but among those UST is expected to send are the men's 4x400 relay; and for the women, Teresa Smock and Brigid Power in the 800 meters, and Karolien Bastiaens in the pole vault.

Tommie Men's MIAC Results
Junior Carson Glad contributed 26 points. He won Saturday's 200 meters (22.06) for his 11th career conference individual or relay championship. He also was second in Friday's 55-meter (6.55) and 400 dashes (49.04).

Freshman P.J. Theisen scored 21 points in four events with a victory in Friday's long jump (22-5), a third in Saturday's triple jump (44-9 3-4), a fifth in the 400 (50.55) and an eighth in the 200 (23.34).

Senior Matt McLaughlin (55-2 3-4) and soph Peter Rosholt (52-8 3-4) finished 1-2 in Friday's weight throw. Freshman Matt Schroeder won Saturday's pole vault in an NCAA provisional mark of 15-2 1-4.

The Tommies also won the 800-meter relay in 1:30.11 with Jason Schwietz, Adam Aaro, Kyle Fisher, Tom Hart.

St. Thomas had seven runners-up. In the 4x400, the Toms held out some of their top quartermilers and took second in 3:24.92 with Chris Mattke, Bryce Beckman, Steve Rajewsky and Shaun Sharpe. They also were second in the distance-medley relay in 10:41.53 with Jeff Goeden, Keith Harding, Beckman and Joe Hoovestol. Other seconds came from senior Ben Garbe in the triple jump in an NCAA provisional and career-best mark of 46-2 3-4; junior Cory Fusco in the 800 meters in an NCAA provisional time of 1:54.89; Rosholt in the weight throw; and Carson Glad in the 55 and 400.

Thirds were scored by Brian Hauge in the 1000 (2:35.92); Theisen in the triple jump; and Mike Draxton and Joe Thomas in the high jump (both 6-2 1-4).

Fourths were scored by Schwietz in the 200 (22.77) and 400 (50.43); Mattke in the 600 (1:15.29); Fusco in the 1,500 (4:02.61); John Schwerkoske in the 3,000 (8:56.33); Travis Birklid in the 55 hurdles (8.12); and McLaughlin the shot put (47-9 3-4).

Fifths were scored by Hart in the 55 dash (6.67); Theisen in the 400; Rajewsky in the 600 (1:15.35); and Nathan Page in the pole vault (14-2 1-2).

Sixths were scored by Sean Brenckman in the 5,000 (15:44.21); Thomas in the triple jump (44-2 3-4); and J.J. Kirby in the high jump (6-2 1-4).

Sevenths were scored by Jeremy Krentz in the 55 dash (6.71); Hart in the 200 (23.13); Sharpe in the 400 (51.47); Tristan Christ in the 5,000 (15:46.34); and Tim Cook in the heptathlon (3,838 points).

Eighths were scored by Dan Everson in the 55 dash (7.68); Theisen in the 200; Hoovestol in the 1000 (2:39.87); Hauge in the 1,500 (4:06.82); Hart in the 55 hurdles (8.32); Jarrod Gray in the high jump (5-10 1-2);and Andy Dauer in the heptathlon (3,657 points).

Tommie MIAC Women's Results
Soph Kristal Grigsby, who tallied no points in the 2003 indoor meet as a freshman, scored 41 points in six events, including a sweep of the long jump (18-1) and triple jump (38-2). Both were NCAA provisional qualifying marks, and the winning triple jump also broke the meet record of 37-6 1-2 set in 2001 by Tommie Kara Hedin.

Another ironman effort was contributed by Molly Bauman who scored in four individual events and two relays.

Another meet record fell in the pole vault where Tommie senior Karolien Bastiaens won her fifth consecutive MIAC title (indoors & outdoors) with a 12-0 3-4 effort.

Brigid Power swept the 1000 (2:59.72) and 1,500 (4;44.70). Smock won the 800 (2:21.45) by a half-second and took fourth in the 600 (1:40.18); and ran on the 4x400.

Grigsby also took third in the high jump (5-1 1-4); fourth in the 55 dash (7.47), fifth in the 200 (26.77), and ran on the third-place 4x400 which was .21 of a second out of first place.

Joining Grigsby on the third-place 4x400 were Mary McKee, Teresa Smock and Alicia Wolff. Wolff also placed second in the 400 (60.17). The Tommies took second in the 800 relay in 1:47.10, one second behind Gustavus, with Bastiaens, freshman Christina Chapman, Wollf and Bauman.

Thirds were scored by freshman Rachelle Dosch in the 55 hurdles (8.60); Andretta Colley in the long jump (17-3 1-2); and Grigsby in the high jump.

Fouths were scored by Grigsby in the 55, Smock in the 600 and the distance medley team of Kristen Winchell, Bauman, Jenny Olin and Ronni Hamilton in 13:00.31.

Fifths were scored by Grigsby in the 200 and Bauman in the long jump (16-3 1-4).

Sixths were scored by Chapman in the 200 (26.79) and 400 (61.34); Chelsea Guettinger in the 3,000 (10:45.55); Bauman in the 55 hurdles (8.88); and Megan Seibel in the long jump (16-3).

Sevenths were scored by Guettinger in the 5,000 (19:00.22) and Bauman in the heptathlon (2,790). Bauman also placed eighth in the 200 (27.04).

Click here for the final results to the 2004 MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships:

see MIAC track homepage here, click on results link