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Men�s High
Jumpers, Mitchler Lead Track Teams into Indoor Nationals
The nation�s top two men�s high jumpers and a
returning women�s individual national champion lead the UW-Stevens Point
track and field teams into this weekend�s NCAA Division III indoor
championships in Northfield, Minn. on March 10-11.
The men�s team will look to the jumpers for
its success as junior Mitch Ellis has the nation�s best leap this season
at six feet, 11.75 inches after finishing eighth at nationals last
season. Junior Kyle Steiner ranks second in the country in the event at
six feet, 9.75 inches. Both jumps were recorded at last weekend�s
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor championships where
Steiner earned field athlete of the meet honors after also winning the
heptathlon title.
Steiner also anchors the 1600-meter relay team
that has the nation�s ninth-best time. He is joined by Adam Baumann,
Nick VerDuin and Ryan Schroeder on the foursome that has a best time
this year of 3:18.35.
Senior Jenna Mitchler is the returning women�s
800-meter champion and ranks fifth in the event this year with a time of
2:12.74 that she recorded in the prelims at last week�s conference meet.
Mitchler�s winning time at last year�s national meet was 2:12.97. She
will also compete in the mile run where she posted a time of 4:59.78
that ranks eighth in the country.
The 1600-meter relay team of Marie Burrows,
Andrea Irvine, Katie Simo and Laura Simonis is ranked eighth in the
country with a qualifying time of 3:56.98.
The men's high jump
competition begins Friday at 5 p.m. The 1600-meter relays will be the
final two events on Saturday beginning at 7:40 p.m. Mitchler will run
prelims in the mile and 800 meters on Friday in hopes of qualifying for
Saturday's finals in each event.
The Pointer men�s team was 22nd at last year�s
national meet, while the women�s team placed eighth overall. |
