Wheaton women capture ECAC Division III track and field crown; Men finish 12th overall

May 16, 2003

CAMBRIDGE, MA- The Wheaton College women's track and field squad took a positive step in defending its NCAA Division III National Championship next weekend by capturing the 2003 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship at MIT's Steinbrenner Track Friday afternoon. In scoring 113 points, the Lyons outpaced 47 other teams to capture the title. On the men's side, the Blue and White posted 22 points, finishing in 12th place out of 49 teams.

Five Wheaton athletes and two relay teams posted NCAA Division III national meet qualifying marks in the two-day meet, led by junior Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson). Smith, who won the 100-meter dash with the fastest Division III time of the year, posted a school record time of 11.75. She also finished second in the 200-meter dash in a provisional time of 24.83 and was a member of the automatic qualifying 4x100-meter relay team, which won the event in 47.68.

Also posting automatic qualifying times were senior co-captains Noreen Kordzeil (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) and Kristen Cullen (Stoneham, MA/Stoneham). Kordzeil and Cullen finished first and second in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.41 and 14.42, respectively and junior Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) placed first in the 200-meter dash in an automatic time of 24.48. In the relay events, Smith, James, sophomore Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) and first-year Aspen James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) won the 4x100M, while Amber James, senior Jana Bromell (Spencer, MA/David Prouty), sophomore Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) and freshman Oly Wirtz (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg) were victorious in the 4x400M event with an automatic qualifying standard of 3:47.50.

Seven women in addition to Smith posted provisional qualifying times, led by Donoghue, who was second in the long jump (18' 3") and 400-meter dash (57.54). Sophomore Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) posted a second place finish in the javelin (133' 9"), while freshman Noelle Battista (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) and senior Kerry Teamey (Klamath Falls, OR/Henley) finished fourth and tied for fifth, respectively in the pole vault. Battista had a collegiate career-high vault of 11' 7 3/4". Junior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover) and Aspen James rounded out the provisional performances in the meet, as Spence finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:03.86) and James fifth in the 100-meter dash (12.24).

On the men's side, sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) once again won the high jump with a leap of 6' 11 1/2", giving the men their only automatic qualification of the day. In addition to the 4x400-meter relay team, two other men scored points on the day. Junior Tyrone McClain (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) finished third in the 100-meter dash (10.92), while classmate Erik Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) was seventh in the 200-meter dash (22.20). The 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of McClain, Benson, sophomore Adam Walker (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) and freshman Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover), posted a fifth place finish in 3:20.11.

The men and women will next travel to Saint Lawrence University in Canton, New York for the 2003 NCAA Division III Championship this Thursday, May 22 through Saturday, May 24. The two-time defending national champion women look to capture their third consecutive outdoor national title.

Last updated on 5/19/03.
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