Wheaton women in search of sixth consecutive NCAA III Championship; Men look to better all-time finish of fourth place

March 8, 2004

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's and women's indoor track and field teams will flex their muscles this weekend at the NCAA Division III Championships held at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, spearheaded by the women's bid to capture an unprecedented sixth consecutive national title. On the men's side, the Lyons will look to better their fourth-place finish from 2002.

Beginning their astounding national championship run in the winter of 1999, the nation's greatest current track and field dynasty has had the opportunity to accomplish one amazing feat after another. The Lyons not only tied Louisiana State University for the second-longest winning streak in NCAA women's indoor track and field history last season, but also became the first NCAA Division III women's program to sweep the indoor and outdoor championships three consecutive years.

Wheaton has essentially rewritten the track and field annals, as the Lyons look to join Christopher Newport University as the only two programs to capture a total of six indoor championships. Their five consecutive indoor crowns is the third-longest active winning streak for all divisions for both men and women. The Wheaton men have also boasted quite an impressive track record over the last four seasons. The Lyons have placed among the top six teams in the nation in the indoor season three of the last four years, including bringing home hardware with a fourth-place standing in 2002.

Head coach Paul Souza will send seven members of the women's track and field squad and a program-best six student-athletes on the men's side. Senior sensation Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) will once again look to lead the women at this weekend's national stage. A 14-time national champion and 17-time All-America performer, James will look to become the only athlete in NCAA Division III history to capture four successive national championships in the 400-meter dash. Having won a team national championship in every season that James has competed, Wheaton will also rely on the standout sprinter in the 55-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay.

James currently owns the fastest time in the 400M event with a time of 54.48. James alongside juniors Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) and Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) and freshman Alison Amendola (Franklin, MA/Franklin) hope to extend Wheaton's winning streak in the 4x400-meter relay to five successive seasons and six of the last seven years. Allegra will also compete in the 400 open, while Wallace and first-year Crystal Blamy (Walpole, NH/Fall Mountain Regional) look to add critical points in the high jump event. Wallace and Blamy's jumps of 5' 6" are the third-highest performances in the nation.

Sophomore Noelle Battista (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) enters the meet as one of the favorites in the pole vault, as she is currently in a tie for third with an impressive mark of 12' 6". Battista's school-record breaking performance was one of three Wheaton marks that fell by the wayside this season. Sophomore Aspen James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) rounds out a strong representative cast at the national championship in the 55-meter dash, where she qualified for the meet with a time of 7.20.

On the men's side, senior Erik Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) and junior Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) will be the likely candidates to lead the Lyons. Olson currently owns the country's top high jump with a Wheaton record of 7' 2 1/2". Winners of three straight national championships in the event, Olson holds nearly a four inch advantage over the next closest competitor. A three-time NCAA All-America athlete in the 400-meter dash, Benson enters the meet with the nation's third fastest time at 47.08, which shattered his own school record. Benson will also run a leg on Wheaton's 4x400-meter relay team.

Joining Benson in the relay are juniors Patrick Freytag (Pittsford, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) and Adam Walker (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) and sophomore Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover), as the foursome are currently ranked seventh on the entry list with a Wheaton record of 3:16.33. Sisodia will also compete in the 400 open following a 48.98 performance last weekend, while junior Stan Pyle (South Portland, ME/South Portland) is certain to be in the hunt in the 5,000-meter run. Posting a school-best time of 14:30.33, Pyle is just over two seconds shy of the current leader.

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