Sat. NCAA Track: UST women take 5th place

May 28, 2005
see D-III track & field home page with results, schedule here

Senior Brigid Power's runner-up finish in the 1,500 meters helped the St. Thomas women's track and field team share fifth place in the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships, which completed a three-day run Saturday in Waverly, Iowa.

Power's eight points, a sixth-place 4x400 relay finish, and five points from Andretta Colley and Kristal Grigsby in the triple jump let the Toms close with 32 points and tie Amherst for fifth place. That was UST's best outdoor finish since 1996 when it placed fourth. The Toms also placed fifth at the 2005 indoor national meet.

Host Wartburg (43) edged UW-Oshkosh (42), Calvin (42) and New Jersey (41) in one of the closest finishes in history for the women's team title. Wartburg edged Calvin in the last event, the 4x400 relay, for third place in a decisive two-point swing.

Power's time of 4:32.31 was a career-best and let her improve six places from her 2004 nationals finish. Colley, who won Thursday's long jump, took fifth in the triple jump at 39-1 1-4 and broke Grigsby's school record by a 1-4 of an inch. She scored 14 points in the meet. Grigsby, who took third in the long jump, was eighth in the triple jump in 38-6 1-4.

Grigsby also anchored the 4x400 to sixth place in 3:50.42 and joined Molly Bauman, Christina Chapman and Alicia Wolff.
The lone Tommie men's competitor on Saturday, senior Dave Diercks, placed ninth in the javelin in 188-9 and missed scoring by one place.

The only other MIAC entry with a top-three placer this weekend was St. Ben's 4x100 relay team, which took third.

NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships
Waverly, Iowa
Women's Final Scoring/Day 3 of 3
Top 10 and MIAC teams

Wartburg (Iowa) 43; Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Calvin (Mich.) 42; College of New Jersey 41; St. Thomas and Amherst (Mass.) 32; Williams (Mass.) 29; Bates (Maine) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire (26); New Jersey City (25). Others: tie 39. St. Benedict 6.0; tie 44. Hamline and St. Mary's 5; tie 55. Concordia-Moorhead 3.

Saturday MIAC Placewinners
--Triple Jump: 5. Andretta Colley, St. Thomas, 39-1 1-4; 8. Kristal Grigsby, St. Thomas, 38-6 1-4.
--Javelin: 8. Nicole Plante, Concordia-Moorhead, 131-6
--1,500 Meters: 2. Brigid Power, St. Thomas, 4:32.41
--5,000 Meters: 7. Keidra Anderson, Hamline, 17:12.69
--4x100 relay: 3. St. Benedict (Patti Clintsman, Sarah Nezworksi, Jennifer Dalhed, Bethany Keene) 47.55
--4x400 relay: 6. St. Thomas (Molly Bauman, Christina Chapman, Alicia Wolff, Kristal Grigsby) 3:50.42

Friday's MIAC Placewinners
--High Jump: 4. Ashley Dingels St. Mary's 5-7
--Heptathlon: 7. Nicole Plante, Conc.-Moorhead, 4640

Thursday's MIAC Placewinners
--Long Jump: 1. Andretta Colley St. Thomas 19-5 1-4; 3. Kristal Grigsby St. Thomas 18-11 3-4.
--10,000 Meters: 5, Keidra Anderson Hamline 36:13.54

Men's Final Scoring/Day 3 of 3
Top 10 and MIAC teams
Lincoln (Pa.) 69; Wisconsin-La Crosse 66.5; Nebraska Wesleyan 54; Willamette (Ore.) 43; North Central (Ill.) 31.5; Calvin (Mich.) 30; Wartburg (Iowa) 29; New Jersey City 28.5; Richard Stockton (N.J.) and Wisconsin-Oshkosh 24; Others: tie 55. Hamline 2.

Saturday's MIAC Placewinners
None

Friday's NCAA Placewinners
None

Thursday's NCAA Placewinners
--10,000 meters: 7. Jeff Metzdorff, Hamline, 30:51.94