Women's Track gets good start to outdoor season

March 23, 2003
The St. Thomas women's track and field team opened its 2003 outdoor season Saturday at the San Diego State Aztec Open. Coach Joe Sweeney's team had one automatic qualifier and three provisional qualifiers for the Division III NCAA Outdoor Championships in May in Canton, N.Y.

All-American junior pole vaulter Karolien Bastiaens made the automatic standard in the pole vault with a 12-4 1/2 height -- a new conference outdoor record. She placed fourth. Bastiaens cleared 12-4 3/4 at the national indoor meet last weekend.

The Tommies had three strong times in the 800. Junior All-American Teresa Smock (2:13.97) and senior All-American Tish Dusich (2:14.69) placed fourth and sixth place, respectively, and met the provisional qualifying time for nationals. (The automatic time in the 800 is 2:12.0.). Freshman Mollie Hupp ran 2:17.30 and placed seventh.

The Tommies' 4x400 relay placed fifth in a provisional qualifying time of 3:55.41. UST also took fifth in the 4x100 relay in 49.20.

Jill Ylonen ran 12.72 in the 100, 26.19 in the 200 and jumped 15-10 1/4 in the long jump; Heidi Vogel ran 25.96 in the 200; Kristal Grigsby ran 13.10 in the 100, 26.93 in the 200 and cleared 5-0 in the high jump; Mary McKee ran 62.73 in the 400 dash and 70.90 in the 400 hurdles; Brigid Power ran 4:53.12 in the 1,500; Nicole Gurgel ran 18:42.51 in the 5,000; Molly Bauman ran 69.43 in the 400 hurdles; Alana Lucio ran 12:52.73 in the steeplechase; Christie Thames cleared 10-1 1/4 in the pole vault; Ellen crow threw 36-0 1/4 in the shot put; Erin Ranta jumped 15-11 in the long jump; Katie Joyce leaped 14-4 1-2 in the long jump.

St. Thomas will compete April 12 in the St. Thomas Relays.

see complee meet results here