The pair contributed nine team points as UST tied for 23rd place. UST just missed scoring in the 4x400 relay as it took ninth.

Hutton took fourth in the 800 meters in 1:52.92 and Ekpo was fifth in the triple jump at 47-10 3-4.

Ekpo was one of just four male freshmen to have top-five places this weekend.

In the 4x4000, UST's Matt Griswold, Joe Rohlfing, Hutton and Pat Jager clocked 3:19.92. They finished less than one second behind Bethel and Hamline, which placed seventh and eighth.

North Central (52.3), UW-Stevens Point (34), UW-LaCrosse (31.5) and UW-Oshkosh (31) took the first four team places. 

On the women's side, UST tied for 19th with 10 team point scored with Friday's victory in the distance-medley relay. On Saturday, UST took 11th in the 4x400 relay in 3:58.24 with Molly Demmer, Erin Sprangers, Kelly Russ and Nikki Arola.

Two MIAC seniors won individual titles on Saturday's -- St. Olaf's John Schantzen in the shot put and Bethel's Marie Borner in the mile.

Click here for men's results:

http://www.raceberryjam.com/2010/ncinmenevt.html

Click here for women's results:

http://www.raceberryjam.com/2010/ncinwomenevt.html

Ekpo had rare top-three placings in the triple jump (first), long jump (second) and high jump (third) and scored 24 individual points. That helped the UST men win the conferenec team title by only seven points over Hamline and continued a 26-year streak as MIAC indoor champions.

His triple jump mark of 47-10 3-4 ranks fourth among all Division III jumpers this season.

Click here to view more Greg Smith action photos:

www.gsmithsports.com

Eyo Ekpo (Greg Smith photo)

Matt Griswold (Greg Smith photo)

Cameron Roemhildt (Greg Smith photo)

Joe Rohlfing hands to Justin Horner. (Greg Smith photo)

Joe Rohlfing on the 4x400 (Greg Smith photo)

Mike Hutton on the 4x400 (Greg Smith photo)

St. Thomas made it 26-for-26 in MIAC men's indoor team titles. (Greg Smith photo)

Senior Joe Rohlfing and Pat Jager celebrate. (Greg Smith photo)

Below, Devin Dirth (Greg Smith photo)

The Tommie men will send five athletes in three events -- freshman Eyo Ekpo is seeded fourth in the triple jump; sophomore Mike Hutton is seeded fifth in the 800; and the Toms' 4x400 relay team of junior Matt Griswold, senior Joe Rohlfing, Hutton and senior Pat Jager is seeded 10th.

The Tommie women opted to concentrate on two relays and not declare two seniors Erin Sprangers (800) or Kelly Russ (mile) in their open events.

UST's Distance Medley Relay has placed second at nationals the last two seasons. That relay is seeded fifth this year with freshman Taylor Berg (1200), senior Nikki Arola (400), Sprangers (800) and Russ (mile).

The Tommies have also qualified in the 4x400 and are seeded ninth with four seniors --  Molly Demmer, Sprangers, Russ and Arola.

Click here to view men's and women's field:

http://www.raceberryjam.com/indexid.html

St. Thomas used iron-man performances by undercllassmen Matt Griswold, Mike Hutton, Eyo Ekpo and Ben Sathre and survived a two-day assault from Hamline.

UST scored 163 and edged the Pipers (156) by a scant seven points for first place out of 11 teams. It was the closest finish in MIAC men's indoor history. Bethel scored 121.5 for third.

St. Thomas has now won six MIAC regular-season or playoff team titles this winter -- men's basketball, women's basketball (playoff), men's swimming, men's hockey (playoff) and men's and women's track. 

Late points in the triple jump and 3,000 and a runner-up finish in the 4x400 helped turn the meet for Coach Steve Mathre's Tommies. The Toms won only three events but received points from 17 different athetes and scored in 19 of 20 events.

Griswold won the pentathlon on Thursday and was second in the 55 hurdles on Friday. He ran with Eric Lois, Hutton and Pat Jager on the runner-up 4x400 relay that clocked 3:19.19. Griswold also placed fourth in the 600 (1:13.65) and was seventh in the triple jump (43-2 1-2).

Hutton won the 1000 in 2:33.14 and ran on the runner-up 4x400 relay. He also took second on Friday in the 800 meters.

Ekpo, a freshman, won Saturday's triple jump in a career-best 47-10 3-4 -- the fourth best jump this season in Division III. He also took third in the high jump (6-5) and was second in Friday's long jump.

Sathre scored a key runner-up finish in the 3,000 (8:38.43) on Saturday and was second in Friday's 5,000.

Jager was second in the 200 (22.70) and was third in Friday's 400.

Other scorers on Saturday for the Tommies were Cameron Roemhildt and Joe Rohlfing, toed for fifth in the high jump at 6-2; Devin Dirth, sixth in the shot put (47-3 3-4); Tyler Iverson, seventh in the 3,000 (8:50.36); Crawford Hubbell (2:35.94) and George Williams (2:36.32), who took seventh and eighth in the 1,000; and the eighth-place 800 relay team of Rohlfing, Lois, Justin Horner and Sam Moen (1:34.83).

Click here for meet results:

http://raceberryjam.com/2010/miacmeninevt.html

Check back Monday for more Greg Smith action photos

Click here to view other Greg Smith action photos:

www.gsmithsports.com

Above, Mike Hutton on runner-up 4x400; below, Eyo Ekpo in high jump (Greg Smith photos).

Men's Results:

http://raceberryjam.com/2010/miacmeninevt.html

Women's Results:

http://raceberryjam.com/2010/miacwomeninevt.html

Click here to access MIAC Track and Field Championships website:

http://www.miac-online.org/sports/2010/2/3/MITRACK_0203101706.aspx?id=5596

With nine final events remaining on Saturday, UST has 90 points to 72 for Hamline and 59 for Bethel. St. Olaf has 35 points to lead the next group in the 11-team field.

UST started the day with a 26-point lead after Thursday's heptathlon. On Friday, the Toms got four runner-up finishes -- Matt Griswold in the 55 hurdles (7.80), Mike Hutton in the 800 (1:53.14), Ben Sathre in the 5,000 (14:54.25) and freshman Eyo Ekpo in the long jump (21-9).

The Tommies got thirds from Pat Jager in the 400 (50.07); a fourth from Andy Edmunds in the pole vault (14-5 1-4); fifths from Eric Lois in the 400 (50.62), Sam Moen in the 55 dash (6.63) and Cameron Roemhildt in the long jump (21-2 1-2); a sixth from Anthony Kelly in the pole vault (13-11 1-4); and sevenths from Moen in the long jump (21-0 1-2) and George Williams in the mile (4:22.47).

UST also got three points with a sixth place in the distance-medley relay in 10:31.73 with Crawford Hubbell, Ben Yorkovich, Greg Dowe and Tyler Iverson.

Thursday's Heptathlon

Junior All-American Matt Griswold won Thursday's heptathlon and led a 1-2-4-7 Tommie finish for 25 team points in the opening event of the MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Northfield.

The Tommies are attepting to push their team title streak to 26-for-26 as the 11-team competition continues Friday and Saturday on the Carleton campus. Bethel and Hamline ahve the ability to contend for the men's team title, but neither had an entrant in Thursday's first event.

Griswold scored 3,331 points to top UST senior Joe Rohlfing (3,212). Freshman Gavin Yseth (3,164) and sophomore Devin Dirth (2,944).

Gustavus went 1-2-4 in the women's pentathlon and outscored the Tommies by 20 points. UST's Traci Pastoor placed sixth in 2,739. The Gusties and Tommies are expected to battle for the team crown Friday and Saturday.

Click here for Friday results:

http://raceberryjam.com/2010/miacmeninevt.html 

The 11-team men'scompettion starts today with the heptathlon, where UST has five entrants and could score 20-plus points. The remainer of the meet runs Friday and Saturday.

The Toms have captured 48 of the last 52 MIAC team championships contested indoors and outdoors since 1983. St. Thomas men's and women's squads have won 100 all-time MIAC team titles in indoor and outdoor track and field.

Coach Steve Mathre expects his Tommies to come in hungry and ready to compete this weekend, and they’ll need that focus over 21 events as they battle the Royals and Pipers.

The Tommies graduated six All-Americans from a squad that placed third in the 2009 NCAA outdoor national meet – Brian Sames, James Ewer, Matt Boumeester, Kyle Brandon, Phil Bastron and Joe DeFrance. In addition, junior Andrew Brueggen transferred to St. Mary's to be closer to his hometown and is ranked fourth nationally in the weight throw.

Mathre has five elite athletes to build around:

--Sophomore All-American Mike Hutton is ranked fourth nationally in the 800 and is seeded 1-2 in the MIAC in the 800 and 1000;

--Senior All-American 200-400 meter runner Pat Jager is ranked in three events;

--Sophomore All-American distance runner Ben Sathre will contend in the 3,000 and 5,000;

--Freshman Eyo Ekpo is expected to challenge for titles in the long jump, triple jump and high jumo;

--Junior All-American Matt Griswold has the potential to score well in the multi-event, hurdles and relay.

The Tommies’ depth includes senior relay All-Americans Sam Moen and Greg Dowe.

The Toms have four NCAA provisional qualifiers. In the MIAC season-best list, UST has 20 athletes or relays ranked in the top-four, including five who are seeded first. 

The Tommies have displayed a mental toughness all season as they deal with on-campus construction, which took away their indoor facility and locker rooms and downsized the weight room and training room. Most UST athletes have had to travel to the Minneapolis Lake Street YMCA for early-morning workouts, while distance and middle-distance runners have had to deal with icy and snowy paths outdoors for much of the winter.

Click here for MIAC season-best times at Raceberryjam:

http://www.raceberryjam.com/miacindmenperf10.html

Click here for MIAC meet webpage with schedules, entries, results:

http://www.miac-online.org/sports/2010/2/3/MITRACK_0203101706.aspx?id=5596

Click here for MIAC meet previews:

http://www.miac-online.org/news/2010/3/3/MITRACK_0303105703.aspx

In the pole vault, Anthony Kelly took first in a season-best 14-4 1-2. Thomas Hillebrand (13-4 1-2), David Thomas (12-10 3-4), Jay Man (12-10-3-4) and Patrick Peterson (11-10 3-4) placed 4-5-7-9.

In the high jump, Joe Rohlfing took first in 6-1 1-1. Gavin Yseth was second (5-11 1/2) and Pat Ecklund tied for fifth (5-7 3/4).  

In the long jump,  Cameron Roemhildt (21-3 1/4), Sam Kovar (20-2 1/2) and Matt Griswold (20-1) placed 3-7-9. Roemhildt also placed sixth in the 55 hurdles (8:15), and Griswold was fourth in the triple jump (41-11 1/2.

Ben Yorkovich took fourth in the 600 (1:15.96).

In the 200, Sam Moen (23.34), Rohlfing (23.39) and Eric Lois (23.40) went 7-8-9.

In the 1000, George Williams placed seventh (2:34.85).         

In the shot put, Devin Dirth placed fifth (42-11 3/4).

The Tommies will compete next Friday and Saturday at the MIAC Championships hosted in Northfield at Carleton College.

Click here for St. Olaf results:

http://www.stolaf.edu/athletics/track/men/media/2009-10/results/2010-02-26.htm

It's the fourth career Player of the Week honor for Hutton in men's soccer, indoor track and outdoor track.

Hutton led the Tommies with two NCAA provisional marks Friday night at the University of Minnesota Snowshoe Open. He just missed an automatic qualifying time in the 800 meters with a second-place finish just .10 seconds behind Minnesota's Travis Burkstrand. His time of 1:52.93 ranks third best thus far in Division III.

Hutton later joined his teammates to better the NCAA provisional mark in the 4x400m relay, which now ranks sixth in the country with 3:19.49 time.