At the Anderson Track & Field Complex in Lindsborg, KS, during the Swede Invite on March 21, 2008, two athletes surpassed the NAIA "A" Standard for the NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Edwardsville, IL, while another athlete improved her qualifying mark.

Results  -  Qualifying Standards

 

The two athletes who qualified for the national meet by meeting the "A" Standard for the first time during the outdoor season were sophomore Michelle Baltimore of Yuma, AZ, and senior Anna Miller of Blue Rapids, KS.  For Baltimore, her winning throw in the discus of 138-10.00 was a personal best, while Miller won the hammer with a personal best of 160-04.00, which was also 3 inches from the outdoor school record.  Both of them qualified for the indoor national meet earlier this winter.

 

Improving her qualifying "A" mark in the shot put, junior Jessica Becker of Capitan, NM, won the shot put with a new outdoor school record of 49-02.50.

 

Other women who won events for the Swedes were senior Leah Clay of Lawrence, KS, in the 400m hurdles with a personal best 1:13.56 and junior Sarah Helm of Seneca, KS, in the 100m hurdles with 15.61 and in the triple jump with a personal best 34-02.25.

Runner-up finishes included:  Baltimore in the hammer with 143-00.00; Becker in the discus with 134-08.00; sophomore Amber Dunham of Independence, KS, in the shot put with 39-06.50; freshman Jaci Kepler of Bassett, NE, in 400m hurdles in 1:18.73; the freshman Morgan Salter of Holcomb, KS, in the 10,000m run with 43:48.91; and senior Hope Stieben Otis, KS, in the javelin with 123-08.00.

 

Placing third for the women included:  Dunham in the javelin with 111-06.00 and Miller in the discus with 123-03.00.

 

For the men, freshman Ira Autrey of Houston, TX, was a double event winner in the long jump with a personal best 21-06.25 and in the triple jump with a personal best 45-03.50, while junior Nhial Malia of Highlands, TX, won the 10,000m run with 36:29.39.

 

Leading the way with three 3rd place finishes was freshman Jesse Muntz of Dexter, KS.  He placed 3rd in the 110m hurdles with a personal best 16.28 and the 400m hurdles with a personal best 1:01.43; he tied for 3rd in the high jump with a season best 6-00.75.

 

The men's 4 x 400m relay (3:31.55) and 1600m sprint medley relay (3:43.65) also placed third.  The members of the 4 x 400m relay were freshman Nick O'Loughlin of Hugoton, KS, junior James Bowden of Salina, KS, junior Hugo Escobar of Emporia, KS, and Muntz, while the 1600m sprint medley relay team members were Bowden, Autrey, O'Loughlin, and Escobar.  The distances in the 1600m sprint medley relay are 200m, 200m, 400m, and 800m.

 

Next week, the Swedes host the Bethany College Multi-Event Meet on March 25-26 and travel to the Rock 'N Roll Distance Classic and Alex Francis Classic at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS, on March 28-29.