2009 NCAA^® Division III
Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field
Championships

News Releases

Historic Men's Tie, Wartburg's First National Title Highlight 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track Nationals

Sumer Rohrs won her third consecutive national title and set a national meet record in the 55 hurdles.

       The first team tie in the history of Division III Track and Field and a historic women's national championship by Wartburg College highlighted the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Friday and Saturday.
       Wisconsin-La Crosse earned its eighth men's national championship in the past nine seasons, but fellow conference foe Wisconsin-Oshkosh captured its first team national title as each squad tallied 32 points.  The tie marked the first shared team championship in the history of Division III Track and Field.
       Wartburg College earned its first ever team women's championship with a steady performance that featured a pair of first-place honors.
       The 4-x-400 meter relay team featuring Nevada Morrison, Kelsey Steffens, Chelsey Jacobs and Hannah Baker entered the final event needing to defeat the Wisconsin-La Crosse squad to secure the national title and won the event in a time of 3:50.10.  Akeye Aimable added a triple jump national title with a leap of 39' 6".
      Wisconsin-La Crosse placed second in the women's team standings, followed by Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Illinois Wesleyan and Tufts.
      On the men's side, Whitworth recorded a third-place finish with McMurry and Buena Vista rounding out the team top five.
       The 2009 championships were perhaps the most balanced in the event's 25-year history, as 20 different institutions claimed at least one individual national title in the 30 events.
       Frostburg State senior hurdler Sumer Rohrs was named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Track Athlete of the Meet to lead the individual effort.  Rohrs claimed her third career 55-meter high hurdles national championship and established a national record with a time of 7.97 seconds.
       Wisconsin-La Crosse senior Caitlin Schetter earned top Field Athlete honors by the USTFCCCA for her performance.  Schetter won the long jump with a leap of 18' 10" and claimed runner-up honors in the triple jump at 39' 5".
       On the men's side, Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior William Kaul was named the USTFCCCA Men's Track Athlete of the Meet.  Kaul claimed the 5,000-meter run title with a time of 14:31.46 and was the anchor on the meet record setting distance medley relay squad featuring Nate Stmiest, Ben Zill and Ben Wizner as Oshkosh set a Division III national mark of 9:56.79.
       The Men's Field USTFCCCA Athlete of the Meet was Todd Wildman from Trinity University in Texas.  Wildman claimed the first ever men's Pentathlon title with a score of 3,859 points.  Wildman was also runner-up in the men's high jump (6' 9 3/4") and placed seventh in the 55-meter high hurdles.
       Other running event men's national champions during day two of competition included Stephen Headley of Springfield College in the 55-meter dash (6.24 seconds); Hanneus Ollison of McMurry University in the 400-meter dash (48.33); Jimmy O'Brien of Ohio Northern in the 800-meter run (1:53.34); Peter Kosgei of Hamilton College in the mile run (4:08.58); William Brown of Montclair State in the 55-meter hurdles (7.39 seconds); and the 4-x-400 meter relay team of Joe Reed, Fred Romer, Sean Daly and Eric Theiss from Oneonta State in a time of 3:17.19.
       Men's field event national champions on day two of competition included Alex Samma of Connecticut College in the triple jump (49' 5 1/2"); Bobby Riley of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the shot put (57' 5 1/2"); Cody Stelzer of Whitworth in the high jump (6' 11"); and Jake Winder of North Central in the pole vault (17' 1 1/2").
       First-day men's national champions included Eric Bertsksen of Buena Vista University with a long jump leap of 24' 9" and Sam Johnson of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the weight throw with a toss of 65' 0 3/4".
       Other second-day women's track event titleists included Judy Bataille of Heidelberg in the 55-meters (7.02 seconds); Robin Yerkes of Roanoke in the 400-meters (56.09); Ashley Graybill of St. Norbert in the 800-meters (2:09.95); Ayla Mitchell of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the mile run (4:54.66); and Elise Tropiano of Amherst in the 5,000-meters (16:58.84).  Monique Riddick of Montclair State added a national title in the shot put (47' 2 1/2").
       The first day of the women's competition including six national champions, including the first ever in the newly added Pentathlon.  Ashley Huston of Hardin-Simmons became the inaugural Pentathlon champion with a score of 3,725 points in the 55-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800-meter run.
       The distance medley relay squad from Tufts University added a national title, with Amy Wilfert, Halsey Stebbins, Jackie Ferry and Stephanie McNamara recording a time of 11:46.77 to top St. Thomas by less than one-tenth of a second. 
        Other national champions included Schetter in the long jump at 18' 10" to top teammate Katie Fondow by less than one inch; Julia Hopson of Fredonia State with a weight throw toss of 59' 10 1/2"; Marlee Berg of Westfield State with a high jump leap of 5' 6 1/2"; and Rachel Secrest of North Central College with a pole vault mark of 12' 8" to win a four-way tie for first place based on number of misses.  Anna Heim of Moravian, Hayley Suckow of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Alecia Ellingstad of Wisconsin-La Crosse also cleared 12' 8".
       A total of 446 student-athletes from 134 colleges in 27 states competed in the two days of action at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Distance Medley Relay Event Record Highlights Day One of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Nationals

William Kaul of Wisconsin-Oshkosh helped the national championship squad set a new meet record in the distance medley relay.

         Tight competition and a new championship record in the men's distance medley relay served as highlights in day one of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Friday.
         The Wisconsin-Oshkosh distance medley relay squad featuring Nate Stymiest, Ben Zill, Ben Wizner and William Kaul set a meet record with a time of 9:56.79 to outdistance a squad from Wisconsin-La Crosse by less than three seconds.
         Other men's national champions on day one of competition included Eric Bertsksen of Buena Vista University with a long jump leap of 24' 9" and Sam Johnson of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the weight throw with a toss of 65' 0 3/4".
         The parity in competition left Oshkosh, Eau Claire and Buena Vista in a three-way tie for first place with 10 points after day one of men's events.  La Crosse, St. Lawrence and McMurry are each tied for second with eight points.
         A busy afternoon in women's competition included the crowning of six national champions, highlighted by the first ever national champion in the newly added event of Pentathlon.  Ashley Huston of Hardin-Simmons became the inaugural Pentathlon champion with a score of 3,725 points in the 55-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800-meter run.
         The distance medley relay squad from Tufts University added a team national title, with Amy Wilfert, Halsey Stebbins, Jackie Ferry and Stephanie McNamara recording a time of 11:46.77 to top St. Thomas by less than one-tenth of a second. 
         Other national champions included Caitlin Schetter of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the long jump at 18' 10" to top teammate Katie Fondow by less than one inch; Julia Hopson of Fredonia State with a weight throw toss of 59' 10 1/2"; Marlee Berg of Westfield State with a high jump leap of 5' 6 1/2"; and Rachel Secrest of North Central College with a pole vault mark of 12' 8" to win a four-way tie for first place based on number of misses.  Anna Heim of Moravian, Hayley Suckow of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Alecia Ellingstad of Wisconsin-La Crosse also cleared 12' 8".
         Wisconsin-La Crosse holds the overall team lead following day one of competition with 26.5 points.  Wisconsin-Oshkosh stands second at 19 points, followed by North Central and Hardin-Simmons at 15 points each.
          Action concludes with day two of the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships at Rose-Hulman on Saturday.  The Pentathlon begins at 9 a.m., with field events starting at 11:30 and running events commencing at 2 p.m.  A total of 21 national champions will be crowned on the final day of a competition that featured 446 student-athletes from 134 colleges in 27 states. 

NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships Underway at Rose-Hulman

        The NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships, featuring 446 student-athletes from 134 colleges in 27 states, are now underway at the Rose-Hulman Sports and Recreation Center.
        The championships consist of 15 men's and 15 women's individual events over the two days of competition.  Team national champions will also be crowned for the most cumulative points over the 15 events in each gender.
        Tickets for the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships are available at the Rose-Hulman Sports and Recreation Center for $5 per day.
        More than 70 of the nation's top track and field officials will be at Rose-Hulman for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships, including several who have worked in the Olympic Games.
        The event marks the second time over a three-year span that Rose-Hulman will host the championships.  The college previously hosted the 2007 national championships won by Williams on the women's side and Lincoln on the men's side.
        The 2009 Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be the fourth NCAA Division III title event that Rose-Hulman has hosted in the past seven years.  The college previously hosted the 2002 and 2003 Women's Basketball Championships, along with the 2007 Track and Field Championships.  Rose-Hulman also hosted the 1995 Men's and Women's Golf Championships at Hulman Links Golf Course. 

446 Athletes from 134 Colleges Heading to Rose-Hulman for the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Nationals

        The NCAA track and field national committee today released the complete fields and heat sheets for the 25th annual NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships to be held at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology this Friday and Saturday.
        A total of 446 student-athletes from 134 colleges located in 27 states will compete for national championship honors at the Sports and Recreation Center in Terre Haute.  The week begins with the annual event banquet on Thursday night in Hulbert Arena.  
        Tickets for the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be available at the Rose-Hulman Sports and Recreation Center on Friday and Saturday for $5 per day.
        Limited tickets to the banquet will be available to participants during packet pickup on Thursday from 1-3 p.m.
        The NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships will involve 15 men's and 15 women's individual title honors over the two days of competition.  Team national champions will also be crowned for the most cumulative points over the 15 events in each gender.
        The event marks the second time over a three-year span that Rose-Hulman will host the championships.  The college previously hosted the 2007 national championships won by Williams on the women's side and Lincoln on the men's side.
        More than 70 of the nation's top track and field officials will be at Rose-Hulman for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships, including several who have worked in the Olympic Games.
        The 2009 Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be the fourth NCAA Division III title event that Rose-Hulman has hosted in the past seven years.  The college previously hosted the 2002 and 2003 Women's Basketball Championships, along with the 2007 Track and Field Championships.  Rose-Hulman also hosted the 1995 Men's and Women's Golf Championships at Hulman Links Golf Course.

NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships Set for Friday and Saturday

        Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will host the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships on March 13-14 at the Sports and Recreation Center in Terre Haute, Indiana.
       The event marks the second time over a three-year span that Rose-Hulman will host the championships. The college previously hosted the 2007 national championships won by Williams on the women's side and Lincoln on the men's side.
Over 450 student-athletes and 175 coaches from 125 institutions are expected to compete at the 2009 championships. Tickets will be available at the door for $5 per day.
       More than 70 of the nation's top track and field officials will be at Rose-Hulman for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships, including several who have worked in the Olympic Games.
       The 2009 Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be the fourth NCAA Division III title event that Rose-Hulman has hosted in the past seven years. The college previously hosted the 2002 and 2003 Women's Basketball Championships, along with the 2007 Track and Field Championships. Rose-Hulman also hosted the 1995 Men's and Women's Golf Championships at Hulman Links Golf Course.

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