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RIPON, Wis. – Cornell serves as host to the 2014 Indoor Track and Field Championships which takes place Friday, February 28 through Saturday, March 1 at the Small Multi-Sport Center Arena in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The events will kick off at 3 p.m. on Friday and are set to start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
After 10th (men) and eighth (women) place finishes in 2013 the Beloit indoor track programs aims to move up in the standings in 2014 when they travel to Mount Vernon, Iowa. On the men’s side the Buccaneers will rely on George Gray in the 800-dash as he ranked 14th in the MWC with a time of 2:01.52. Peter Siess ranked 13th in the 400-dash (51.99) to compliment Gray in the track events. Antonio Jones headlines the field performers as he ranked 11th in the long jump with a team-best jump of 19’11.25”. Felicia Carlson is at the top of the charts in a trio of events as her time in the 200-dash (25.83) ranked second in the league with the third-best time in the 60-dash (7.86). She also contends in the field events with the eighth ranked long jump (16’01.25”). Sian Cunninham joins Carlson on the field side as she vaulted 10’00” at the UW-Whitewater Invitational that ranked her sixth in the league.
Carroll posted a pair of fourth place finishes and aim for its first championship since the 2001 season when the Pioneer women won a championship. Last season the Carroll men’s sprint medley relay team won a championship and is the only returning champion from 2013. Dakota Pruitt paces the distance events as he ranked in the top-three of the 800-dash (1:56.63), mile (4:22.71) and 3,000-run (9:03.85). Cooper Witt enters with a top-five time in the 200-dash (22.51) while Andrew Barthel is sixth in the pole vault (13’01.75). Corissa Meyers is one of the favorites in both the long jump (17’02”) and the triple jump (35’03.25”), ranking second and third. Lindsey Thomas finished the season with the second-best shot put (42’11.75”) and the third-best weight throw (48’02.25”). Marguerite Rosandick is a medal contender in the 60-hurdles with the second-fastest time (9.67).
In its first year back in the MWC Cornell picked up a seventh place men’s finish and a sixth place women’s finish in 2013. On the men’s side Lawrence Dennis leads the Rams in the distance events with top-six times in both the 3,000- (9:06.35, fifth) and 5,000-run (16:14.11, seventh). Teammate CJ Horan compliments Dennis in the 3,000-run with the seventh-fastest time (9:08.76). Kenny Smith paces the Rams in the high jump with a jump of 6’02” at the Grinnell Invitational that ranks him fifth in the league. Abrah Masterson ran a league-best time of 10:14.06 in the 3,000-run and posted the runner-up time in the mile (5:08.51). Madison Acre headlines the field participants with the fourth-best weight throw (47’05.75) and fifth-best shot put (41’11.25). Nikki Leach ranked fourth in the 60-hurldes (9.82) to round out the women's squad.
Grinnell last won a league indoor track title in 1985 and the 2014 version will aim to do the same over the weekend. Nate Kolacia challenges in the mid-distance as he held the top time in the mile (4:22.17) and ranked fourth in the 800-dash (1:57.79). The Pioneers are strong in the 3,000-run as they had five runners ranked in the top-10 during the season. Adam Dalton topped the 3000-run (8:54.89) while he also posted the top time in the 5,000-run (15:23.08). The Grinnell women defend a title in the 4x400 relay and host a top performer in four different events as they travel to Mount Vernon. Sarah Burnell headlines the top performers as she is the league-leader in both the 800-dash (2:18.36) and mile run (5:06.16). Christine Ajinjeru (400-dash, 57.73) and Diana Seer (5,000-run, 19:01.93) also hold top times for the Pioneers.
Illinois Col. finished in the top half of the standings last year headlined by a third place finish on the women’s side. The Lady Blues now aim for the first championship in school history in Mount Vernon. John Piper is a favorite in the 60-hurdles after running a league-best time of 8.40 at the Jim Green Invitational. Caleb Harris (triple jump, 43’03.25”) and Chandler Polyte (pole vault, 15’01”) both have a top-five mark in the league in an event. Harris also posted a second top-five time in the long jump (21’07.50”). The Blueboys challenge in the relay events as the team’s 4x200 team posted the second-fastest time (1:32.63) at the Principia Invitational. Despite the loss of Missy Norville, who won four MWC championships in 2013, the Lady Blues are full of talented performers in 2014. Ofuma Eze-Echesi held the fastest time in the 60- (7.78) and 200-dashes (25.50) and ranked fifth in the 400-dash (1:00.61). Stacy Sinclair ranked fourth in the high jump (5’02.25”) to headline the field performers.
The Prairie Fire finished ninth and tenth on the men’s and women’s side last season and look for improvement in 2014. Weston Chenoweth headlines the men’s field performers as he is one of the favorites to medal in the shot put with the league’s third-ranked mark (46’06.25”). Fellow thrower James Lenihan ranked 10th in the shot put (44’08.75”). Ezekiel Jere paces the team in the 800 (2:03.21) while Victor Schultz leads Knox in the 5,000-run (17:03.39). Elizabeth Reyes ran a top-10 time at the Jim Green Invitational in the 5,000-run (19:52.09) and will contend for a medal. Carolina Goncalves led the Prairie Fire in both the 400- (1:05.73) and 800-dashes (2:33.06). Nicolette Bridgeforth leads the field event participants as she holds the team’s top mark in the weight throw (36’03.75).
Lawrence is in search of the school’s first indoor track championship after the men finished eighth and the women finished ninth a year ago. The Vikings have a men’s athlete in the top-10 in four different events led by JP Ranumas who is the third-ranked performer in the 60-hurdles (8.74). Jonah Laursen (5,000-run, 16:10.95) and Spencer Swick (weight throw, 46’10.25”) had top-five performances in their respective events. Cameron Davies had a top-10 time in both the mile run (4:32.71, seventh) and the 5,000 (16:15.05, ninth) for the Vikings. On the women’s side Anna Bolgrien posted a time of 10.16 in the 60 hurdles at the UW-Stout Invitational that ranked her eighth in the league. Elin Karlsson paces the distance runners with a pair of top-15 times in both the 3,000 (11:00.36, 11th) and 5,000 (19:44.75, eighth).
Monmouth swept the championships for the 12th straight year in 2013 and aim to continue its that trend in 2014. In total Monmouth returns a champion in nine different events and has three relay championships to defend. On the men’s side the Fighting Scots have a top performance in 11 events led by reigning 400-dash and long jump champion James Wilson. Wilson holds the top spot in the 200-dash (22.32) and long jump (24’00.25”). He also posted the second-best marks in the 60-dash (7.09)and ranked third in the 400-dash (50.50). Kiante Green won two championships last year in the 60- and 200-dashes as he ranked first and second. Other returning champions include Karston Anderson (60-hurdles), Steven Andris (pole vault), and DeAndre Smith (shot put). The Monmouth men also defend titles in the 4x200 and the distance medley relay teams. The women have just as much fire power this year as the Fighting Scots hold a top performance in seven different events. Lacey Hainline (400-dash) and Morgan Ryan (pole vault) both return after 2013 championships. Ryan posted top-times in the 60-hurdles (9.39), long jump (17’04.50”), and pole vault (12’00”). Raven Robinson also had a top-performance in the weight throw (56’07.50”). 2013 NCAA high jump runner-up Emily Tysma headlines the conference in the event (5’07”). The Monmouth 4x200 relay team also looking for a repeat performance after a championship in 2013.
After finishing third (men) and fifth (women) in 2013 the Red Hawks look for their first team championship in school history when they travel to Iowa. Austen Jentges ranked second in the league with a weight throw toss of 50’08.25” at the Eastbay Invitational. Fellow field performer Zack Beek held the second-farthest shot put throw (50’09.50”) at the Eastbay Invitational. On the track side Mikey Allen had the sixth-best time in the 800-dash (1:59.73) with Ryan Adams also joining him in the top-10 (1:59.88, eighth). Ian Hall challenges for a medal in the 400-dash after running the seventh-fastest time (50.96) at the Eastbay Invitational. Kyle Novak looks for gold in the pole vault after a top-five performance during the season (13’06.25). The Red Hawks return 2013 NCAA high jump champion Jenna Breaker who ranked fifth in the event this year (5’02.25”). Lydia Pomeroy ranked fourth in the shot put (42’11”) and seventh in the weight throw (44’07.75”). Nicole Zeman also posted a top-10 time in the 60-hurdles (10.15, seventh).
St. Norbert was on the brink last season after a pair of runner-up finishes and aim to break the 12 year streak that Monmouth holds on the championships. Randy Hill is one of two individual returning champions this year after winning the high jump in 2013. Hill enters the 2014 championships with the second-best jump (6’04”) in the MWC. Benny Swift also captured a championship in the mile run and ranked third in the event this season (4:24.62). Dan Sisler joins Hill in a strong jumping field as he has the third-best high jump (6’03.25) and long jump (21’09”). Hill bolsters the triple jump field with the fifth-best mark (43’03”). The Green Knights also defend a title in sprint medley relay after a mark of 4:16.90 in last year’s championships. Liz LeCaptain returns to defend a title in the 60-dash, entering with the second-best time in the league (7.85). Nicole Vanderlin won the high jump last season and ranked second (5’06.25) during the season. Elvia Martinez (5,000-run, 19:05.68) and Brittany Kozlowski (800-dash, 2:18.61) both rank second in the MWC.