Iowa State Classic and Fargo Recaps

This past weekend was a record setting one for the Jackrabbit Track and Field Teams.  Here is a few highlights of the meets:

1. Jake Schneller took down Coach Rod DeHaven's Indoor 800m record.  Coach Dehaven had run 1:51.51 and Jake ran 1:51.14.  It was a good run and Jake looks to be one of the favorites for the Summit League 800m title.

2. DMR- Mike Krsnak (2:59), Jared Foote (48.3), Dom Thielen (1:53) and Jake Schneller (4:09) won the meet and took down the school record set just two years ago.  They also barely missed the all-time state record set by USD in 2007.  This relay team sits 18th in Division 1 right now.

3. Gina Fritz ran a #4 All-Time performance in the 200m with a time of 25.25.  She joins the elite company of Heather Wollman, Cameryn Christion, and Brittany Garner and vaults to #6 in the Summit League.  Gina is a true freshman and looks promising for the next few years.

4. Jared Vlastuin continues his long and high jumping success while winning both events and setting a school record in the latter.  Jared jumped over 7 feet for the first time.  He bettered Ben Jasinski's school record, set last year, by just a half inch.  Jared ranks 33rd nationally in the High Jump and 22nd nationally in the Long Jump.

5. The 4x4 relay team of Jake Schneller, Jared Foote, Brandon Priebe, and Chris Curry ran a time of 3:17.08, good for #2 All-Time at SDSU.  The only team they trail is that of last year starring Luke Leischner.

6. Chris Curry ran a PR of 22.33 in the 200.  This run is better than his outdoor PR of last year.  Chris looks to make a big impact at the Summit League meet next weekend in Ft. Wayne.

7. Jared Foote ran an indoor best of 48.72, moving up to #3 All-Time at SDSU.  His run also ranks him 4th in the Summit League.

8. PRs abounded as Dom Thielen also recorded one.  Dom ran 1:52.30 to win his heat in fashion and almost take the 800 title out of the second heat.  This is a PR by over a half second and ranks Dom 6th in the Summit League.  This run also ranks him #5 All-Time at SDSU.

9. Greg Vollmer and Trent Lusignan continue their success over 3000 meters this season.  They both set PRs and ran under 8:30.  Greg cracked the top-10 by only .2 seconds.  Also PRing in the 3k were Brian Brochman and Drew Kraft with times of 8:44 and 8:46.

10. In the 5000m, I broke 15 for the first time and Greg Beesley continues to blaze the comeback trail with a 23 second improvement over last week.

11. Krista Creager is a very consistent 2:17 800m runner.  However, this weekend she ran a near PR and an indoor best of 2:16.9!

12. Courtney Neubert makes a solid debut in the 5000m running an 18:12.  This time ranks her 13th in the Summit League.

13. Andrew Thies has a solid debut in the 3000.  The freshman ran the Mile in 4:34 then came back in the 3000 with a 9:14.

14. Mike Bredeson and Bennett Mercil gear up to score some points in the Heptathlon at the conference meet.  Both men broke 4000 points and look to improve on that in a few weeks.

15. Mary Wirth and Lora Shearer beat rival Toni Tollefson of NDSU in the High Jump.

16. The women's distance crew was full of great performances
a. Josie Oakland and Katie Boote ran 11:03 and 11:06 in the 3000
b. Leah Bolon set another season best in the Mile at 5:24 as did Molly Kopfman and Alex Suhr
c. Molly also ran strong in the 800 with a 2:27

17. McKenzie Johnson captured the women's shot put with a throw of nearly 44 feet.  The freshman is ranked 8th in the Summit in the event.

18. Brooke Garner completed the Throws double, winning the Weight Throw.





Saturday ISU Men's Results

Saturday ISU Women's Results

Friday ISU Men's Results

Friday ISU Women's Results

This Day in Track History- February 13th

1993- Merlene Ottey of Jamaica runs 21.87 seconds in the 200m to claim to World Indoor Record in France. Ottey, who competed collegiality for the University of Nebraska, also has the third fastest time ever in the 200m outdoors.  Ottey had a very long and successful sprint career.  She first went to the Olympics in 1980 and last competed there in 2000.  She won three silver and six bronze medals at the Olympics and added six golds and many more silver and bronze at the World Championships.

Ottey Competing in Athens for Slovenia

1988- Heike Dreschler of East Germany set the World Indoor Record in the Long Jump with a leap of 24 feet, 2.5 inches or 7.37 meters.  Dreschler also held the outdoor long jump record and tied the outdoor 200m world record as well.  Dreschler was always suspected of doping but she never failed a drug test in her whole career. Her career spanned the same time period as Ottey's, rising to prominence in the early 1980s and wrapping it up with a Gold in the Long Jump in Sydney.

Heike Dreschler

This Day in Running- February 12th

This day in running, February 12th...

1909- James Clark of the United States ran a then-world record of 2:46:52.8 in the Marathon.  Clark set this record in the Brooklyn Marathon, beating the previous record set on January 1st of the same year, by nearly 6 minutes.  Clark's record would prove to be short lived as well.  Clark later became the President of the Long Island Athletic Club.

1997- Hicham El Guerrouj also set the World Indoor record in the Mile at 3:48.45.  "El G" was a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in the 5k and 1500 in Athens as well as a silver in the 1500 4 years earlier in Sydney.  He also captured 7 World Championship Gold Medals from 1997 to 2003.  El G also holds records indoors and out for the 1500 and the Outdoor Mile and 2000m.

El G celebrating his second Gold in Athens