UST sweeps MIAC men's, women's track titles

March 4, 2000
The St. Thomas men and women dominated the 2000 MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday in Collegeville.

Coach Steve Mathre's men's team used three meet-record performances involving sprinter Roman Cress to roll up 184 points and top closest pursuers Concordia (108.5), St. Olaf (100) and Hamline (85). It was UST's 16th team championship in the 16th year history of the meet -- the longest current MIAC team championship streak.

Coach Joe Sweeney's UST women scored 190.5 points to more than double runner-up Concordia (91.5). UST won nine consecutive indoor women's titles from 1989-97 before Concordia won the 1998 and 1999 women's meets.

Cress won the 200 meters in a meet-record time of 22.03 -- just .01 ahead of teammate Jeremy Heckman, the 1999 champ. Cress anchored the UST winning 4x200 relay along with Heckman, Nick Stahly and Justin Hall in a meet-record time of 1:27.81.

UST also won the 4x400 relay, anchored by Heckman with Hall, Mike gruba and Mark Bates. Chris Milton took second in the pole vault for another Saturday top-two finish.

Friday, Cress set a meet record and ran the fastest time this year in Division III in the 55 meters as he ran 6.20 in the prelims and 6.25 in the finals. Heckman was second and Nick Stahly was fourth. UST also got Friday victories from Joe Bilek in the weight throw, Ryan Kollmann in the 1,500 and the distance-medley relay team of Levi Severson, Andrew Hilliard, Neil Langer and Kollmann. Hall and Bates placed 2-3 in the 400.

For the Tommie women on Saturday, Katie Arnes tied the meet record to win the high jump (5-5 3-4); Jenni Mooney won the 3000; Heidi Vogel won the 200; Kara Hedin repeated as triple jump champ; Tish Dusich was second in the 800; and the Toms' 4x200 (Emily Haley, Katie Bestul, Jill Ylonen, Carie Muntifering) and 4x400 (Vogel, Dusich, Hedin, Haley) relay teams placed second.

Friday, Dusich set a meet record in winning the 600 (1:36.78) Bestul won the 55 hurdles and Kelly Faris won the 5,000. UST also took second in the distance medley relay (Becky Mooney, Muntifering, Erin Ward, Faris) and got a second from Arnes in the pentathlon.

Other top finishers for the Tommie men included: Stahly, 3rd in the 200; Gruba, 5th in the 600 and 3rd in the 800; Steve Henderon, 5th in the 1,000; Brian Preus, 5th in the 3,000 and 5,000; Dan Draine, 4th in the 5,000; Andrew Kisielius, 4th in the long jump and 3rd in the triple jump; and Tom Pontinen, 5th in the pentathalon.

Additional top-five performances for the women were Ylonen, 4th in the 55; Vogel, 3rd in the 400, 5th in the 55, and 5th in the long jump; Hedin, 3rd in 55 hurdles, 4th in the 400, and 4th in the long jump; Mooney, 5th in the 1,500; Carleen Andert, 5th in the 3,000; Christi Osborne, 2nd in the triple jump and 3rd in the long jump; Dusich, 4th in the triple jump; and Katie Joyce, 4th in the pole vault.

UST hopes to send 10-12 athletes for next weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships in Bloomington, Ill.

see men's, women's complete results here