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Wheaton track & field teams open outdoor seasons at 49ers Classic; Nine Lyons post national qualifying marks
March 16, 2002
CHARLOTTE, NC- The Wheaton College men's and women's track & field teams opened their outdoor seasons this weekend at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, competing in the 49ers Classic. The Lyons posted nine athletes with NCAA Division III national meet qualifying standards, six for the women and three for the men.
Freshman standout Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY) had the strongest outing for the men, breaking a meet record in the high jump. He recorded an NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying standard, finishing first overall with a jump of 7' 1 3/4". Sophomore Erik Benson (Southbury, CT) also qualified automatically in his first attempt in the 400-meter dash. He placed fourth overall in a time of 47.76. Senior Ray Smith (Providence, RI) also joined the ranks in the national competition, this time as a provisional qualifier in the long jump. He finished seventh with a distance of 23' 4 3/4".
On the women's side, sophomore Amber James (Woodbury, MN) led all sprinters with three national meet qualifying times in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes. Her time of 55.47 in the trials of the 400M dash earned James an NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying standard. With that race, James is guaranteed a visit back to her home state for the national championship meet, which will be held at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 23-25. James' finals time of 55.82 landed her a fifth place finish overall. She also qualified provisionally in the 100 and 200M events, finishing in 12.40 and 25.14, respectively. Placing seventh in the 200-meter dash, James quickest race came in the trials with a time of 24.88.
Breaking the lone school record for the women was freshman thrower Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA) in the javelin. Throwing against several Division I athletes, Larsen placed fourth overall with a provisional distance of 131' 4", shattering the school mark set back in 1994. Other national meet provisional qualifiers were senior Kate Getz (Cumberland, ME) and first-year Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA) in the triple jump, sophomore Kim Spence (Dover, NH) in the 400-meter hurdles and junior Kerry Teamey (Klamath Falls, OR) in the pole vault.
For complete results of the 49ers Classic, go to http://charlotte49ers.fansonly.com/sports/c-track/sched/ncch-c-track-sched.html.
Last updated on 3/21/02.
Send questions about this page to Scott Dietz or contact Wheaton College.