January 29, 2005
Eagles’ DMR teams headline first day at IU,
Meet NCAA II qualifying standards
Results
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Heading into the 2005 indoor track and field seasons, the University of Southern Indiana knew one of its strengths would be in the men’s and women’s distance medley relay.
USI lived up to expectations Friday as both teams met NCAA II qualifying standards in the first day of the Hoosier Relays. The Screaming Eagles’ won the women’s DMR race by posting the nation’s fastest time, a school-record mark of 12 minutes, 7.43 seconds.
The women’s team, which was eight seconds faster than any other team in Division II, included junior All-American Heather Cooksey (Brownsburg, Indiana), sophomores Natalie Clark (Newburgh, Indiana) and Missy Burgin (Sellersburg, Indiana), and senior Crystal Stock (Mt. Vernon, Indiana).
USI’s men finished fourth in the DMR, setting the fourth-fastest time in Division II with a school-record time 10 minutes, 17.75 seconds. Senior Doug Schwartz (Centralia, Illinois) as well as juniors Jesse Davis (Bloomington, Indiana), Jake England (Valparaiso, Indiana), and Brad Orndorff (Greenfield, Indiana) were the make-up of the men’s DMR team Friday.
This season marks the first time that the DMR has been a part of the NCAA II Indoor Track and Field National Championships. It also is the first time in school-history that the Eagles have had a relay team meet a national qualifying standard.
Sophomore All-American Candace Perry (Anderson, Indiana) also had a high mark in the women’s long jump, leaping to Saturday’s finals with a preliminary jump of 19 feet, four inches. Perry will be seeded second in finals.
Junior All-American Abby Boberg (Bicknell, Indiana) posted an NCAA II provisional qualifying mark of five feet, 5.75 inches to finish sixth in the women’s high jump Friday, while freshman men’s long jumper Ian Snodgrass (Delta, Indiana) also qualified for Saturday’s finals after leaping to a school-record jump of 22 feet, 6.5 inches. Snodgrass was seventh in the preliminaries on Friday.
The results for Saturday will be released on Sunday.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
