2006 Women's Indoor Track & Field Preview

January 19, 2006
2006 St. Thomas Women's Indoor Track & Field

Head Coach: Joe Sweeney (26th season)

Key Returnees:

--Kristal Grigsby, SR, LJ-TJ-HJ-400 (2X NCAA champ, 5X All-American, 11 MIAC titles in 2004 & 2005)

--Katie Theisen, FR, LJ-TJ-Mid-Dist. (state TJ runner-up, 2005 All-MIAC cross country)

--Molly Bauman, SR, Hurdles-LJ-400 (relay All-American, MIAC champ 55 hurdles)

--Christina Chapman, JR, 200-400 (relay All-American, MIAC runner-up outdoor 400)

--Chelsea Guettinger, SR, Distances (All-MIAC cross country and track)

--Jenny Olin, JR, Distances (All-MIAC cross country and track)

Season Preview:

Coach Joe Sweeney has guided Tommie track and cross country teams to 52 MIAC team championships out of 72 contested in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. The Tommie teams have swept MIAC men's and women's indoor titles for six consecutive seasons.

The 2005 Tommies placed fifth nationally both indoors and outdoors and swept both conference team championships. At last March's MIAC indoor championships, the UST women scored 61 points in the long jump, high jump and triple jump and claimed a 23-point win over runner-up Concordia (117 points). The Toms scored in 14 of 20 events and had seven firsts, three seconds and two thirds.

They graduated NCAA long-jump champion Andretta Colley and NCAA runner-up and eight-time MIAC champ Brigid Power. But St. Thomas returns a two-time NCAA long jump champion in senior Kristal Grigsby and relay All-Americans Molly Bauman and Christina Chapman. Freshman Katie Theisen of New Prague, an All-MIAC cross country runner, is expected to make an immediate impact in hurdles, jumps and middle-distance events.

Sweeney's 40-plus woman roster includes at least a dozen who could score at this year's indoor conference meet. Several distance runners are on hand from UST's fall cross country team that was MIAC runner-up and placed 15th at nationals.

see links to roster, schedule here