LINCOLN, Neb. -- The SBU track and field team set some new school records and got one national qualifying mark.

Friday, February 22^nd the SBU men and women’s track and field teams travelled to Nebraska University in Lincoln, NE for the Prairie Wolf Invitational.  Both squads had a combined twelve personal bests, two school records, and one national qualifying mark.

Coach McElhaney commented: “Several great things happened today, senior Alyssa Maggart set a school record in the 800 while hitting a National Provisional Qualifying mark, one of the only women in school history to qualify for nationals in a running event. The women’s 4x400 meter relay also ran a huge personal best, and crushing the school record by almost six seconds. The relay also was just over one second off a national provisional mark.  Overall we had a great meet; the athletes endured a very long trip, plus a meet that lasted over 8 hours.  I am very proud of the entire team for the performances and competitive attitudes.  We have a very special group that respects other team members events.”

The men’s Distance Medley relay team ran a 10:5.14 to claim second place and another national qualifying mark.  Their time failed to move them up on the national list and looks at this point to be a couple spots out of going to nationals.

Coach McElhaney, “The DMR ran a great race all alone until the last 400 meters.  We are disappointed in the time but we came together as a team and thought we are very blessed to be at a point where we are disappointed at running the second fastest time in school history and the 12^th fastest time in Division II.  The other upside to this is our DMR does not graduate a single runner next year.”

Women’s results

Anna Bradenburg jumped 5’1 in the high jump to claim 9^th place and currently is ranked 11^th in the conference.  Courtney Ayers placed 6^th in the 5,000 meter run, with a 18:29 which ranks her 4^th in the conference.  Erica Whitfield also placed 17^th with a 19:58.

Katie Ware ran a personal best in the 60 meter dash placing 30^th with a 8.59.  Jenny Blair and Jenifer Gillespie placed 4^th and 8^th in the 400 meter dash running 58.5 and 58.9. Those two times rank Blair and Gillespie 4^th and 6^th in the conference.

In the women’s 800 Alyssa Maggart placed 6^th overall with a 2:17.76.  Her time broke her own school record and also provisionally qualifies her for nationals.  Kelsi Chowning was right behind Maggart in 7^th with a indoor personal record 2:19.03.  Maggart and Chowning’s times currently rank them 2^nd and 4^th in the coference.  Respectively Fivi Mihai and Casey Verner placed 33^rd and 36^th in the field of 41 runners.

Jenifer Gillespie placed 23^rd with a 26.81 in the 200 meter dash. 

Chelsea Strahm(10:59) and Kristen Colon(11:02) placed 7^th and 9^th in the women’s 3,000 meter run, while Andrea Owensby and Rebecca Brigance placed 18^th and 20^th.

The women’s 4x400 meter relay ran an amazing race while battling with conference rival Northwest Missouri State.  Their time of 3:58.64 crushed the record set last weekend at MSSU of 4:04.61.  This time was .84 seconds off of the national provisional mark of 3:57.80. Coach Adkison, “The 4x400 at conference will be anyone’s race.  Three teams have ran 3:57 or 3:58 and we are right in the mix.”

Men’s results

In the men’s 5,000 meter run SBU had five runners in the event.  Michael McCampbell led the way with his 18^th place finish running a 15:48.  Sophomore Cameron Ayers placed right behind McCampbell in 19^th with his 15:50, that time was a 13 second personal record.  David Hackney place 21^st with a 16:10, Patrick Steffen ran a personal best of 16:43 to place 26^th, and Caleb Loya placed 28^th with his 16:52.

SBU went 8 and 9 in the men’s 1 mile run.  Sophomore Jeremy Glassmaker lead the entire race for the 2^nd heat to run a 4:24.04, while Junior Vince Tichenor ran a 4:24.71 to finish right behind Glassmaker.  Tichenor improved his time by 7 seconds from last week.

SBU had four runners in the men’s 400 meter dash with Jeff Weseloh placing 26^th, Johnny King 27^th, Jesse Kueker 29^th and Frank Grant 34^th.

In the men’s 800 meter run Vince Tichenor came back to double with a 14^th place finish in a 1:58.61 and Trevor Shultz respectively finished 36^th with a 2:08.23.

In the men’s 200 meter dash Johnny King and Frank Grant went 28^th and 31^st.

The men’s distance medley relay team of Shawn Etzenhouser, Erik Johnson, Nathaniel Rogers, and Michael Pierce place 2^nd with a 10:05.14.  Their time puts them #12 on the national list right below their previous mark set back on January 26^th at Iowa State University.

The men’s 4x400 meter relay finished off the long day with an 8^th place finish of 3:33.41.

Coach McElhaney, “Overall we had a great meet. Coach Adkison and I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the team in supporting each other. Next week we go to Missouri Southern State University for the MIAA conference Championships.  Our goal is to place higher and score more points than any SBU tack and field  team has while competing in the MIAA.  I think we have a great shot at doing this.  I hope supporters from the community and the school come out to show their support for the team.  Sometimes the athletes feel like the community/school does not even know they are competing in track due to the lack of home meets.  It would mean a great deal to the athletes to see support this weekend at the MIAA conference track meet.”

MIAA Conference Championships information (Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO)

Friday February 29^th

Field Events start at 1:30 pm

Running Events start at 4:30 pm

Saturday March 1^st

Field Events start at 10:00am

Running Events start at 1:30pm