Multiple UMAC record holders return for conference championships on Saturday
UMAC Men's & Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships Website
DULUTH, Minn. -- 2012 will represent the third year of the UMAC Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will take place in the Burns Wellness Commons at the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday afternoon. Five men’s teams and four women’s teams will each be competing for a conference title.
In men’s action, St. Scholastica hopes to earn the UMAC trophy for the third year in a row, having won both the 2010 and 2011 championships. The Saints have broken three school records in this year’s indoor season. Keep an eye on short distance runner Justin Hanson, who has continually improved upon his 60 meter hurdle record while also breaking the 200 meter record. Hanson, who owns conference records in the 55 meter hurdles (which is now 60 meters) won UMAC Player of the Week honors on January 17. Another UMAC Player of the Week award recipient is thrower Tom Lyscio. Lyscio has had strong throws throughout his senior season. Lyscio holds the league’s all-time shot put record, which he set last year at 14.71 meters.
The University of Minnesota Morris returns to the UMAC Championship with some conference record holders of their own. Todd Gramenz and Leandro Dower both enter their events as the top seed to beat. Gramenz owns the Cougars school record and UMAC record in the 55 meter dash (also now 60 meters), while Dower is the school and conference record holder in the 200 meter dash. Dower too is ranked first in the conference entering Saturday’s championship.
Northwestern College will arrive with the UMAC’s top weight throw competitor according to conference records. Taylor Gish threw a distance of 17.26 meters in last year’s event. This season, Gish ranks 26th on the NCAA Division III leader board in the weight throw competition. The Eagles’ Derek Schlager holds the league’s top seed for the 800 meter, mile and 3,000 meter races. Schlager was part of Northwestern’s distance medley relay team that took first in last year’s conference championship.
Jake Guttormson is a first-year mid-distance athlete for North Central University who ran for the Rams’ cross country team in the fall. Guttormson has the potential to be a competitive runner in Saturday’s 800 meter and mile distances. Also joining the UMAC championship this year is Presentation College, a conference member who will send a team to the men’s track and field event for the first time in 2012. Freshman Will Vealy currently stands in the top five in each of his events, which include the high jump, long jump and 60 meter dash. The Saints’ Matt James has an individual win this season, claiming first place in the triple jump at the Northern State Preseason Open.
Like St. Scholastica’s men’s team, the Saints women’s squad is also poised to try for its third consecutive UMAC indoor championship. As a team, St. Scholastica is currently ranked fourth in the region with seven performances ranked in the top 26 nationally. Maggie Bair, who owns the top marks in the 55 meter dash and hurdles races in the conference records, is ranked 20th nationally in the 60 meter hurdles. Rachel Miller and Alec Seeley are both ranked 14th nationally in their respective events -- Miller in the triple jump and Seeley in the weight throw -- and own UMAC records in each. Bair, Miller and Seeley have all been awarded UMAC Player of the Week honors this year.
Linda Keller, an All-American on the cross country course, is also quite the runner on the track for Minnesota Morris. Keller returns to the UMAC Championship as the conference record holder in both the 800 meter and mile races. Keller’s teammate, Jennifer LaRoque, enters Saturday’s finale as the top seed in the high jump. LaRoque is the Cougars’ all-time best in that event.
Northwestern’s women’s throwers have continued to improve throughout the season. Alyssa Wiitala has broken her own school record twice this season in the weight throw while freshman Karina Nordrum is currently ranked third in the same event. The Eagles hold three of the top six spots in the UMAC shot put rankings. Lyssa Hester and Alyssa Temte, both all-conference performers in 2011, will return to the track in Duluth.
North Central returns to the conference championship with junior Meghan Smith. Injuries hindered Smith’s 2011 season, but Rams Head Coach Trey Meadows is expecting her to be competitive in the 800 meter race at this year’s event.
Saturday’s field events will begin at 12 p.m., while preliminary running heats will start at 1 p.m., with finals scheduled to start at 2 p.m. St. Scholastica will feature a live blog during the event. Social media enthusiasts are encouraged to use the hash tag #umacindoor12.