NCAA Track: No UST champs but 11 All-Americans

May 28, 2000
St. Thomas placed 14th in the men's division with 15 points (eight All-Americans) and 31st in the women's division with 9.5 points (three All-Americans) at the three-day NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships which concluded Saturday in Naperville, Ill. All 11 All-Americans are underclassmen.

UST set a school record in the 4x400 relay with a fifth-place finish in 3:12.60 with Mark Bates, Justin Hall, Jeremy Heckman and Andrew Hilliard. Heckman is a junior and the others are freshmen.

Despite getting interfered with on the first handoff, UST took sixth in the 4x100 relay in 41.62 with Nick Stahly, Hall, Heckman and Roman Cress. The bump probably cost the Toms three or more places.

Ryan Kollmann was fourth in the 1,500 in 3:53.49. Cress was seventh in the 100 in 10.85; and freshman Craig Benson was eighth in the 110 hurdles in 14.94. Greg Kaiser, seeded third in the javelin, was unable to compete due to an ankle injury.

Three UST women -- all juniors -- placed in the top eight to earn All-America honors -- Kara Hedin was fifth in the triple jump in a season-best 38-3 1-2; Katie Arnes tied for third in the high jump in 5-5 3-4; and Katie Bestul was eighth in the 100 hurdles in 15.18. Junior Kelly Faris placed 15th in the 3,000 in 10:14.14 after taking 13th in the 10,000 two days earlier.

see link to final team scores, results