Track and Cross Country

Photo of Vanessa Warzecha Vanessa Warzecha, a junior javelin thrower from Aloha, Ore., has been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine College Division Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District VII First-Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Warzecha, who has a 4.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and is majoring in biology, was named a Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athlete earlier this year.

She is Morningside’s record holder in the javelin with a distance of 148-10 and is a three-time Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) champion in the event. She reigned at this year’s GPAC Outdoor Championships with a distance of 134-4 and finished 12th at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships with a distance of 123-2.

Warzecha was the NAIA national runner-up in the javelin as a sophomore with her school-record throw of 148-10 and finished fifth at the NAIA national meet as a freshman with a distance of 139-4.

Student-athletes must be of at least sophomore status and have a minimum GPA of 3.20 in order to be eligible for ESPN The Magazine academic honors.

Mustangs Announce Track & Field Recruits

Morningside College track & field head coach Dave Nash has announced the names of 27 additions that will join the Mustangs next season.

The headliner is Diedre Hinkeldey, a sprinter-long jumper from Alta, Iowa, who will join the Mustangs with freshman eligibility as a transfer from NCAA Division I University of Minnesota.

Hinkeldey went to Minnesota following a standout career at Alta High School, where she was a three-time individual state champion as well as a two-time state champion in relay events. As a senior, Hinkeldey ran the anchor for Iowa’s Class 1A sprint medley relay state champions, placed third in the 1A 400-meter dash with a time of 58.17 seconds, and placed fourth in the 1A 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.93.

She also anchored Alta to a 1A sprint medley relay state title as a junior. Individually she placed second in the 1A 400-meters with a time of 57.94 and placed second in the 1A 100 and 200-meter sprints with times of 12.85 and 26.08 seconds, respectively.

Hinkeldey was Iowa’s 1A 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles state champion with times of 57.18 and 1:02.71, respectively, as a sophomore. She also placed fourth in the long jump with a distance of 17-2 1/2 and helped lead Alta to a sixth place finish in the sprint medley relay.

Hinkeldey was Iowa’s 1A 400-meters state champion as a freshman with a time of 58.76 and the 1A 400-meter hurdles state runner-up with a time of 1:05.21, plus qualified for the state meet in the long jump as a freshman.

The other recruits are:

Carrie Cale, a sprinter from of Sioux City. Cale will join the Mustangs with senior eligibility as a transfer from Iowa Central Community College. Cale is a 2004 Sioux City North High School graduate who was on the track & field team at the University of South Dakota earlier in her career. This past indoor season she ran the 400-meter leg for Iowa Central’s national championship distance medley relay team and helped lead the Tritons to an eighth place finish in the 1600-meter relay at the junior college national meet.

Cale was a four-year state qualifier during her prep career at North and helped lead the Stars to sixth place finishes in the 1600-meter and distance medley relays at the Class 3A state meet as a junior. She was a Class 4A state qualifier in the 200-meters, 400-meters, and 1600-meter relay as a senior, a 3A state qualifier in the 400-meters and 1600-meter relay as a sophomore, and a 3A state qualifier in the 800-meter and 1600-meter relays as a freshman.

Jake Chambers, a weight thrower from Sheldon High School in Iowa.

Allison Christy, a sprinter from Spencer High School in Iowa. Christy was a Class 3A state qualifier in the 400-meters and the 1600-meter relay this past season. She was a 3A state qualifier in the 1600-meter relay and the 3200-meter relay as a junior and a 3A state qualifier in the 3200-meter relay as a sophomore.

Jessica Clark, a distance runner from Mondamin, Iowa. Clark, a graduate of West Harrison High School, placed eighth in the Class 1A 3000-meters with a time of 11:13.95 at this year’s state meet and was a state qualifier in the 800-meters.

Clark was a state champion as a freshman when she won the Class 1A 3000-meters with a time of 10:21.83 to go along with a sixth place time of 4:53.70 in the 1500-meters. As a sophomore she placed seventh in the Class 1A 3000-meters with a time of 10:54.67 and was a state qualifier in the 800-meters and 1500-meters.

She was also a cross country standout at West Harrison and finished fourth at the Class 1A state meet with a time of 15:26 as a sophomore and fifth with a time of 14:58.47 as a junior.

Lydia Ford, a distance runner from Vermillion, S.D. Ford, who competed for Vermillion High School, placed fourth in the Class A 3200-meters with a time of 12:08.70 at this year’s state meet. She was also a state qualifier in the 1600-meters and helped lead Vermillion to a seventh place finish in the 3200-meter relay.

Ford placed fourth in the Class A 3200-meters with a time of 12:04.12 and was a state qualifier in the 1600-meters as a junior. Ford was also a cross country standout and finished sixth at last fall’s Class A state meet with a time of 16:24.4.

Trama Giermann, a distance runner from Arcadia, Iowa. Giermann, a graduate of Ar-We-Va High School, was a Class 1A 3000-meters state qualifier as a junior and qualified for the 1A state meet in the 1500-meters and the 3200-meter relay as a freshman. She was also a two-time state qualifier in cross country.

Kalifornia Gray, a shot put-discus thrower from Sioux City. Gray, a graduate of Lawton-Bronson High School, placed eighth in the discus with a distance of 110-11 at the Class 1A state meet as a junior. She was a Class 1A discus state qualifier as a sophomore and senior.

Kyle Groon, a jumper from Akron, Iowa. Groon, a graduate of Akron-Westfield High School, placed sixth in the Class 1A high jump with a height of 6-4 at this year’s state meet and was also a state qualifier in the long jump. He had a season’s best of 6-8 in the high jump.

He was also a state place winner as a junior with a third place distance of 20-5 3/4 in the Class 1A long jump. Groon was 1A state qualifier in the high jump as a junior and sophomore.

Lisa Grosvenor, a distance runner from Newcastle High School in Nebraska. Grosvenor was the Class D state runner-up in the 3200-meters with a time of 11:53.46 and led Newcastle to a second place finish in the 3200-meter relay at this year’s Nebraska state meet.

She finished eighth in the Class D 3200-meters with a time of 12:24.24 and helped lead Newcastle to a third place finish in the 3200-meter relay as a junior. She placed fifth in the Class D 3200-meters with a time of 12:31.67 and helped lead Newcastle to a fifth place finish in the 3200-meter relay as a sophomore and was a Class D 3200-meter state qualifier as a freshman.

Anthony Henricks, a middle distance runner from Sioux City West High School. Henricks was a Class 4A state qualifier in the 1600-meters and the 3200-meter relay this season.

Jessica Hudelson, a middle distance runner from Elk Point, S.D. Hudelson, a graduate of Elk Point-Jefferson High School, placed third in the Class A 800-meters with a time of 2:25.90 at this year’s South Dakota state meet. She entered the state meet as the state’s No. 1 qualifier with a time of 2:23.60.

Heather Husman, a sprinter from Quimby, Iowa. Husman, a graduate of River Valley High School, was a Class 1A state qualifier in the 100-meters and 200-meters this year.

She placed fifth in the state in the Class 1A 200-meters with a time of 26.81 seconds as a junior.

Mitch Keizer, a sprinter from Missouri Valley High School in Iowa. Keizer ran the leadoff leg for a Missouri Valley 1600-meter relay team that placed eighth at this year’s Class 2A state meet.

Amy Kessler, a sprinter-hurdler from Storm Lake High School in Iowa. Kessler ran the second leg for a Storm Lake shuttle hurdle relay team that won the class 3A championship at this year’s state meet.

She was a Class 3A state qualifier in the shuttle hurdle relay as a freshman and sophomore.

A.J. King, a distance runner from Bronson, Iowa. King, a graduate of Lawton-Bronson High School, was a Class 1A 1600-meters state qualifier as a junior.

Jenna Kral, a distance runner from Crete High School in Nebraska. Kral was a four-time Class B state qualifier in cross country and finished fifth in the state with times of 15:37.29 as a junior and 15:48.81 as a sophomore. She finished 20th at the state meet as a senior and 16th as a freshman.

She was Nebraska’s Class B state runner-up in the 3200-meters with a time of 11:36.08 and ran the leadoff leg for a 3200-meter relay team that finished third at the state meet as a junior. Kral placed fifth in the Class B 3200-meters with a time of 12:08 as a sophomore.

Tyler Leinbaugh, a sprinter from Odebolt, Iowa. Leinbaugh is a graduate of Odebolt-Arthur High School.

Elizabeth Lippke, a distance runner from Sioux City North High School.

Jennifer Liston, a distance runner from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Liston helped lead Council Bluffs St. Albert High School to a fifth place finish in the Class 2A 3200-meter relay at this year’s state meet.

Liston helped lead St. Albert to Iowa’s Class 1A cross country state championship last fall and was the team’s No. 2 finisher with the 19th place time of 15:21. Liston, a four-time state cross country qualifier, helped lead St. Albert to a sixth place finish in the team standings at the Class 1A state meet as a junior.

Leah Nielsen, a middle distance runner from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Nielsen, who will also compete for the Mustangs’ volleyball team, is a graduate of Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School. She placed fifth in the 1500-meters with a time of 5:02.83 and eighth in the 800-meters with a time of 2:22.19 at this year’s Class 3A state meet. She was also a state qualifier in the 1600-meter and distance medley relays.

As a junior she anchored a Sergeant Bluff-Luton distance medley relay team that finished eighth at the Class 3A state meet and was a state qualifier in the 800-meters and 1500-meters.

Curtis Rife, a high jumper from Mondamin, Iowa. Rife, a graduate of West Harrison High School, had a season’s best of 6-6 and cleared 6-4 en route to a fifth place finish at this year’s Class 1A state meet. He was a 1A high jump state qualifier as a junior.

Colby Rohde, a jumper from Wathena High School in Kansas. Rohde, who will also compete for the Mustangs’ football team, was the Kansas Class 2A runner-up in the triple jump with a distance of 43-5 at this year’s state meet.

Rohde was the Kansas 2A triple jump state champion as a junior with a distance of 44-5 1/4. He also placed fifth in the long jump with a distance of 20-4 1/4 during his junior campaign.

Sabrina Sieperda, a middle distance runner from Rock Rapids, Iowa. Sieperda, a graduate of Central Lyon High School, was part of four place winning relay teams at this year’s Class 1A state meet. She ran leadoff to help Central Lyon finish second in the 1600-meter relay and anchored Central Lyon to a runner-up finish in the 3200-meter relay. Sieperda also ran the leadoff leg for Central Lyon’s fourth place distance medley relay team and helped lead Central Lyon to a seventh place finish in the 800-meter relay.

She helped lead Central Lyon to a third place finish in the 3200-meter relay and a sixth place finish in the distance medley relay at the Class 1A state meet during her junior campaign. As a sophomore, Sieperda helped lead Central Lyon to a third place finish in the Class 1A 3200-meter relay.

Katherine Sokolowski, a high jumper-sprinter from Wakonda, S.D. Sokolowski, a graduate of Irene-Wakonda High School, was this year’s Class B high jump state champion with a height of 5-5. She was also a state qualifier in the 400-meters.

She placed third in the state in the Class A high jump with heights of 5-3 as a junior and 5-2 as a sophomore. Sokolowski was also a state qualifier in the 400-meters as a junior.

Joel Van Wyk, a middle distance runner from Sioux City West High School. Van Wyk was a Class 4A state qualifier in the 3200-meter relay this season.

Amber Woodford, a sprinter from Storm Lake, Iowa. Woodford is a 2008 graduate of Storm Lake High School, where she ran the second leg for the school’s Class 3A state championship sprint medley relay team this past season. Woodford also helped lead Storm Lake to a second place finish in the 400-meter relay, placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.91 seconds, and was a state qualifier in the 100-meters.

As a junior she placed fourth in the 200-meters with a time of 26.39 and helped lead Storm Lake to a third place finish in the 800-meter relay and a fifth place finish in the sprint medley relay at the Class 3A state meet. She was also a state qualifier in the 400-meter relay. Woodford helped lead Storm Lake to an eighth place finish in the 800-meter relay at the Class 3A state meet and was also a state qualifier in the 1600-meter relay and the sprint medley relay as a sophomore. She was a Class 3A state qualifier in the 200-meters and the sprint medley relay as a freshman.

Keitges And South Each Place At NAIA National Championships


Brad South	Erin Keitges

Erin Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., had the Mustangs’ top performance at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships when she placed seventh in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase during Saturday’s competition in Edwardsville, Ill.

Keitges placed seventh with a time of 11:07.41. She had qualified for Saturday’s final with the ninth fastest time of 11:25.78 in Thursday’s prelims.

Brad South, a sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa, also had a placewinning effort for the Mustangs. South placed eighth in the men’s javelin with a distance of 192-4 during Thursday's action.

Vanessa Warzecha, a junior from Aloha, Ore., finished 12th in the women’s javelin with a distance of 123-2.

The Mustangs also competed in the women’s 3200-meter relay, but failed to qualify for the finals after the quartet of Kara Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, Iowa; Annie McInnis, a senior from Omaha, Neb.; Janae Williams, a freshman from Harlan, Iowa; and Heather Hoefs, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., finished seventh in their preliminary heat with a time of 9:44.79.

Ryan Gass, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., was the Mustangs' only competitor on Friday. Gass cleared 6-7 to finish in a tie for 14th place in the men's high jump.

Eleven Mustangs Earn Scholar-Athlete Honors

NAIA Logo Eleven Morningside athletes have been named 2008 Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the sport of track & field.

The Mustangs’ Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athletes are:

Cami Cain, a junior sprinter from Elkhorn, Neb. Cain has a 3.72 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and is majoring in nursing.

Andrew Edison, a junior weight thrower from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Edison has a 3.52 cumulative GPA and is majoring in computer science.

Emily Grabow, a senior distance runner from Fort Calhoun, Neb. Grabow has a 3.55 cumulative GPA and is majoring in nursing.

Eddy Graf, a sophomore distance runner from Logan, Iowa. Graf has a 3.52 cumulative GPA and is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in management.

Annie McInnis, a senior middle distance runner from Omaha, Neb. McInnis has a 3.68 cumulative GPA and is majoring in elementary education.

Christopher Nordstrom, a junior distance runner from Minneapolis, Minn. Nordstrom has a 3.59 cumulative GPA and is majoring in psychology counseling.

Brooke Pottorff, a junior distance runner from Corning, Iowa. Pottorff has a 3.71 cumulative GPA and is majoring inn nursing.

Margo Stanforth, a junior middle distance runner from Platte, S.D. Stanforth has a 4.00 cumulative GPA and is majoring in mathematics and business administration.

Josh Steinhoff, a junior hurdler-sprinter from Smithland, Iowa. Steinhoff has a 3.97 cumulative GPA and is majoring in elementary education.

Anne Torkelson, a junior sprinter-high jumper from Norfolk, Neb. Torkelson has a 3.92 cumulative GPA and is majoring in art teaching.

Vanessa Warzecha, a junior javelin thrower from Aloha, Ore. Warzecha has a 4.00 cumulative GPA and is majoring in biology.

Student-athletes must be of at least junior status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Click here for the complete list of women's track & field Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Click here for the complete list of men's track & field Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Mustangs Announce MVP Award Winners

Morningside College announced its MVPs for the indoor and outdoor seasons at its recent track & field awards banquet.

Ryan Gass, a freshman high jumper from Valentine, Neb., and Jacob Trettin, a senior middle distance runner from Grafton, Iowa, received the field event and runner MVP awards for the men’s indoor season. Gass was the high jump champion and Trettin placed third in the 800-meters at this season’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Championships and they were NAIA national qualifiers in the events.

Brad South, a sophomore javelin thrower from Council Bluffs, Iowa; and Sean Howell, a sophomore sprinter from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, received the field event and runner MVP awards for the men’s outdoor season. Howell won the javelin at last Saturday’s GPAC Outdoor Championships and is a NAIA national qualifier. Howell finished seventh in the 400-meters at the GPAC Outdoor Championships.

Anne Torkelson, a junior high jumper-sprinter from Norfolk, Neb., and Kara Nelson, a freshman distance runner from Cherokee, Iowa, received the field event and runner MVP awards for the women’s indoor season. Torkelson was the runner-up in the high jump and placed fourth in the 400-meters at this year’s GPAC IndoorChampionships. She was a NAIA national qualifier in the high jump. Nelson finished second in the 3000-meters at the GPAC Indoor Championships and ninth in the event at the NAIA Indoor Championships.

Vanessa Warzecha, a junior javelin thrower from Aloha, Ore., and Erin Keitges, a sophomore distance runner from Allen, Neb., were the field event and runner MVP award winners for the women’s outdoor season. Warzecha was the javelin champion at the GPAC Outdoor Championships and is a NAIA national qualifier. Keitges placed second in the 3000-meter steeplechase and third in the 5000-meters at the GPAC Outdoor Championships and is a NAIA national qualifier in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Most Improved awards were presented to Josh Steinhoff, a junior from Smithland, Iowa, in the sprints; Blair Lawton, a junior from Inwood, Iowa, in the distance events; and Amber Price, a sophomore from Shelby, Iowa, in the field events.

South And Warzecha Reign At GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships


Brad South	Vanessa Warzecha

Morningside College swept the javelin individual titles with victories from Brad South and Vanessa Warzecha at the 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships held Saturday in Sioux City.

South, a sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa, defended his GPAC men’s javelin title from a year ago with a distance of 203-5 for a winning margin of over 15 feet from that of runner-up Chase Manstedt of Midland Lutheran College, who had a distance of 187-6.

Warzecha, a junior from Aloha, Ore., won the GPAC women’s javelin championship for the third year in a row with a winning distance of 134-4 for a 10-foot margin over runner-up Lindsey Snowden of Nebraska Wesleyan University, who threw 124-4.

The javelin titles by South and Warzecha led Morningside to fifth place finishes in the final team standings in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Both Mustang teams moved up one spot from last year’s sixth place finishes.

Erin Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., placed third in the women’s 5000-meter run with a school-record time of 17:51.31 to shatter her own Morningside standard of 18:04.89 she ran earlier this year.

The Mustangs also broke a school record in the women’s 3200-meter relay, where Janae Williams, a freshman from Harlan, Iowa; Annie McInnis, a senior from Omaha, Neb.; Tessie Cook, a sophomore from Ames, Iowa; and Heather Hoefs, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., combined for a third place time of 9:34.13 to shatter the former Morningside record of 9:42.53 set earlier this season.


Erin Keitges	Anne Torkelson

Aside from her school-record breaking performance in the 5000-meters, Keitges also placed second in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:15.90.

Anne Torkelson, a junior from Norfolk, Neb., also had a big meet for the Mustang women. Torkelson finished fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.21 seconds and placed fourth in the high jump with a height of 1.63 meters, plus ran legs for Morningside 1600-meter and 400-meter relay teams that finished fifth and sixth with times of 4:01.30 and 50.65, respectively.

Kara Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, Iowa, had one of the Mustangs’ highest finishes with a runner-up effort in the women’s 1500-meters with a time of 4:43.03 and McInnis placed eighth in the event in 5:02.65.

Morningside’s other individual place winners in the women’s competition were: Emily Grabow, a senior from Fort Calhoun, Neb., with a fourth place time of 40:31.88 in the 10,000-meters; Amber Price, a sophomore from Shelby, Iowa, with a seventh place distance of 143-7 in the hammer throw; Lindsey Gates, a freshman from Sioux City, with a seventh place height of 1.58 meters in the high jump; and RaeChael Zabokrtsky, a freshman from Endicott, Neb., with an eight place distance of 128-9 1/2 in the discus.

The Mustangs finished third and fourth in the men’s 800-meters with times of 1:55.88 by Christopher Nordstrom, a junior from Minneapolis, Minn.; and 1:56.25 by Jacob Trettin, a senior from Grafton, Iowa.

Morningside’s best relay finish in the men’s competition came in the 3200-meter event, where Eddy Graf, a sophomore from Logan, Iowa; Peter Malga, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb.; Todd Wolf, a freshman from Corning, Iowa; and Blair Lawton, a junior from Inwood, Iowa, combined for a second place time of 7:55.80.

The Mustangs’ other place winners in the men’s competition were: Ryan Gass, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., with a fifth place height of 1.93 meters in the high jump; Kasey Hoffman, a senior from Watertown, S.D., with a sixth place time of 9:47.34 in the 3000-meter steeplechase; Andrew Edison, a junior from Council Bluffs, Iowa, with a sixth place distance of 161-11 in the hammer throw; Sean Howell, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, with a seventh place time of 49.55 in the 400-meters; and Jeremiah Danga, a junior from Des Moines, Iowa, with a time of 4:05.47 in the 1500-meters.

Nordstrom, Trettin, Graf, and Howell combined for a time of 3:21.44 to lead the Mustangs to a third place finish in the men’s 1600-meter relay.

Results

Mustangs Compete At NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships


Heather Hoefs	Annie McInnis

Erin Keitges	Kara Nelson

Kara Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, Iowa, finished ninth in Saturday’s women’s 3000-meter final at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Johnson City, Tenn.

Nelson had a time of 10:29.72 in Saturday’s final. Nelson, the Mustangs’ school-record holder with a time of 10:24.52 at this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Championships, had the sixth fastest time during Friday’s prelims with a clocking of 10:26.98.

The Mustangs’ Anne Torkelson, a junior from Norfolk, Neb., competed in the women’s high jump, but did not clear the 5-3 opening height. Torkelson, the Mustangs’ record holder in the event with a height of 5-5, earned NAIA All-America honors with a fourth place finish at last year’s indoor national championships.

The Mustangs’ Erin Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., competed in Friday's prelims of the women’s 3000-meters. Keitges finished ninth in her heat with a time of 10:42.66 to rank 18th overall.

Ryan Gass, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., finished ninth in the men’s high jump with a height of 6-6 3/4. Gass cleared the same height as a trio of athletes who shared fourth place, but missed out on placing because of more misses.

Jacob Trettin, a senior from Grafton, Iowa, competed in the men’s 800-meters. Trettin finished sixth in his heat and 13th overall with a time of 1:57.99 and did not qualify for the finals.

Barnabas Dyedi, a junior from Bellevue, Neb., competed in the men’s 5000-meters, but failed to advance past the prelims. Dyedi finished seventh in his heat and 26th overall with a time of 15:54.55.

Morningside College broke its school record in the women’s 3200-meter relay during the prelims in Thursday’s action.

The Mustangs’ quartet of Heather Hoefs, a freshman from Valentine, Neb.; Annie McInnis, a senior from Omaha, Neb.; Keitges, and Nelson ran a time of 9:39.72 to break the former school-record of 9:40.02 they ran earlier this season en route to a second place finish at the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Championships. The Mustangs failed to advance past the prelims when they finished sixth in their heat and 12th overall.

The Mustangs also competed in the men’s 3200-meter relay and the women’s 1600-meter relay, but failed to advance past the prelims.

Morningside’s men’s 3200-meter relay team of Chris Nordstrom, a junior from Minneapolis, Minn.; Kasey Hoffman, a senior from Watertown, S.D.; Eddy Graf, a sophomore from Logan, Iowa; and Trettin finished seventh in their heat and 13th overall with a time of 7:57.43.

Morningside’s women’s 1600-meter relay team of Torkelson, Margo Stanforth, a sophomore from Platte, S.D.; Sheri Howard, a junior from Estherville, Iowa; and Cami Cain, a junior from Elkhorn, Neb.; ran a time of 4:00.76 to finish third in their heat and 12th overall.

Click here for complete results.

Gass Is GPAC Indoor High Jump Champion

Ryan Gass

Ryan Gass was the men’s high jump champion at the 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships held Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

Gass cleared 6-8 to become the Mustangs’ first athlete to ever win a GPAC indoor individual title.

His victory helped lead Morningside to a sixth place finish in the 12-team men’s field with 40 points. The Mustangs scored 58.33 points to finish fifth in the 11-team women’s field.

Morningside had two athletes place second in individual events. Kara Nelson was the runner-up in the women’s 3000-meters with a time of 10:24.52 to compliment a fifth place time of 5:12.92 in the mile. Barnabas Dyedi was the runner-up in the men’s 5000-meters with a time of 15:17.27.

The Mustangs finished second in both women’s relays and had a school-record performance in one of them, where Janae Williams, Annie McInnis, Tessie Cook, and Heather Hoefs combined for a time of 9:40.42 in the 3200-meter relay. They broke the former Morningside standard of 9:40.64 set earlier this year.

Anne Torkelson, Sheri Howard, Margo Stanforth, and Cami Cain combined for a second place time of 4:01.00 in the 1600-meter relay.


Margo Stanforth	Anne Torkelson

Stanforth and Torkelson were also two of the Mustangs’ top competitors in the individual events. Stanforth finished third in the 600-meters with a school-record time of 1:38.42 to break her own record of 1:39.38 she set earlier this season. Torkelson finished second in the high jump with a height of 5-3 and finished fifth in the 400-meters with a time of 1:00.29.

Erin Keitges also placed in two events with fifth place efforts in the women’s 3000-meters and 5000-meters with times of 10:33.64 and 18:32.40, respectively.

Morningside’s other place winners in the women’s events were: Cain with a seventh place time of 1:00.81 in the 400-meters, Emily Grabow with a seventh place time of 19:14.42 in the 5000-meter, and Jackie Humphrey with a seventh place distance of 39-1/4 in the shot put.

Jacob Trettin had a third place finish for the Morningside men with a time of 1:56.47 in the 800-meters.

The Mustangs’ other individual place winners in the men’s competition were: Sean Howell with a sixth place time of 50.87 in the 400-meters, Kasey Hoffman with a seventh place time of 2:02.21 in the 800-meters, Christopher Nordstrom with an eighth place time of 1:24.45 in the 600-meters, Jeremiah Danga with an eighth place time of 8:54.38 in the 3000-meters, and Brad South with an eighth place distance of 21-1 1/2 in the long jump.

Hoffman and Nordstrom also helped lead the Mustangs to their best finish in the men’s relays, where they combined with Peter Malga and Eddy Graf for a third place time of 7:56.71 in the 3200-meter relay.

Results

Dyedi Receives GPAC Track Honor

Photo of Barnabas Dyedi Morningside College’s Barnabas Dyedi, a junior from Bellevue, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference Male Track Athlete of the Week.

Dyedi was the 5000-meter run champion at last Saturday’s Dordt Invitational with a meet-record time of 15:18.31. He also finished sixth in the mile run with a time of 4:32.09.

Dyedi joined the Mustangs at the semester break as a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, where he was a two-time junior college All-American in cross country.

Mustangs Compete At NAIA National Meet

Erin Lynn Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., made the Mustangs’ best showing with a 58th place finish with a time of 18:48.2 in the women’s competition. Teammate Kara Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, Iowa, finished 75th with a time of 18:57.6.

Morningside College had three athletes compete in the 2007 NAIA Cross Country National Championships held Saturday at the Dr. Wayne E. Dannehl Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wis.

Jeremiah Danga, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, finished 128th in the men’s competition with a time of 26:30.1.

Kenosha has the nation’s only pure cross country course and a long-standing history as a community that embraces the sport. The city has hosted 26 NAIA National Championship cross country events since 1976.

Click here for complete men's results.

Click here for complete women's results.


Christopher Nordstrom	Emily Grabow	Brooke Pottorff

Three Mustangs Named Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes

Christopher Nordstrom, Emily Grabow, and Brooke Pottorff have all been named 2007 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the sport of cross country.

Nordstrom, a junior from Minneapolis, Minn., has a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.52 with a major in psychology counseling.

Grabow, a senior from Fort Calhoun, Neb., has a 3.52 cumulative GPA with majors in nursing and Spanish.

Pottorff, a junior from Corning, Iowa, has a 3.73 cumulative GPA with a major in nursing.

Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.


Erin Keitges	Kara Nelson	Jeremiah Danga

Mustangs Announce Award Winners

Morningside College men’s and women’s cross country head coach Dave Nash has announced the Mustangs’ individual award winners for the 2007 season.

Jeremiah Danga, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, received the Most Valuable Player award for the men’s team, while Erin Lynn Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., and Kara Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, Iowa, were Co-MVPs for the women’s team.

All three athletes have qualified for the NAIA Cross Country National Championships to be run Saturday at Kenosha, Wis.

Danga received the Morningside men’s MVP award for the fourth year in a row.

Most Improved Runner awards went to Trisha Johnson, a junior from Salix, Iowa, for the women and Cody Galvin, a freshman from Early, Iowa, for the men.

Summer Mileage award winners were Brooke Pottorff, a junior from Corning, Iowa, for the women and Brian Gesink, a freshman from Sioux Center, Iowa, for the men.

Nelson Has Mustangs Top Finish At Region III Meet

Kara Nelson

Morningside's women placed fourth in the 18-team field of the NAIA Region III Cross Country Championships held Saturday at Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Mustangs, who finished with 123 points, were led by freshman Kara Nelson, who finished eighth in the individual standings with a time of 18:42.52.

Morningside had two other runners finish in the top 20. Erin Keitges was 13th with a time of 18:53.81 and Val Crutchley was 18th with a time of 19:18.07.

The Mustangs finished ninth in the team standings of the men’s competition. Morningside’s top runner was Jeremiah Danga, who finished 12th with a time of 26:03.24.

The qualifying teams and individuals for the upcoming NAIA Cross Country National Championships will be announced next week.

Click here for complete men’s results.

Click here for complete women’s results.


Erin Keitges	Kara Nelson	Jeremiah Danga

Three Mustangs Earn All-GPAC Honors

Erin Keitges and Kara Nelson were both named to the All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Cross Country Team and Jeremiah Danga was named to the All-GPAC Men’s Cross Country Team announced on Nov. 1.

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Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., also made the All-GPAC team last year as a freshman. She finished seventh at last Saturday’s GPAC Championships at Crete, Neb., with a time of 18:59.40.

Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, also made a strong showing at this year’s GPAC Championships with a time of 19:06.28 to finish ninth.

Danga, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, also made the All-GPAC team last year. He was the Mustangs’ top finisher at this year’s GPAC Championships with an eighth place time of 26:27.64. He received GPAC Cross Country Co-Runner of the Week honors earlier this season after he was the individual runner-up with a time of 26:47 in a field of 152 runners at the Grinnell College Les Duke Invitational.

Click here for the complete All-GPAC Cross Country Teams.

Mustangs Have Three Top 10 Finishers At GPAC Championships

Morningside finished fourth in the team standings in the women’s competition and fifth in the men’s competition at the GPAC Cross Country Championships held Saturday on the campus of Doane College at Crete, Neb.

The Mustangs had two top 10 finishers in the women’s 5K run and one top 10 finisher in the men’s 8K run.

Erin Keitges had the Mustangs’ best overall finish with a seventh place time of 18:59.40 in the women’s event, while teammate Kara Nelson was ninth in 19:06.28.

Jeremiah Danga had the top finish for the Mustang men with the eighth place time of 26:27.64.

The Mustangs will compete in the NAIA Region III Championships on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Sioux Falls, S.D.

Click here for complete men's results.

Click here for complete women's results.

Danga Is GPAC Co-Runner Of The Week

Photo of Jeremiah Danga Morningside College’s Jeremiah Danga, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Cross Country Co-Runner of the Week.

Danga was the individual runner-up with a time of 26:47 at last Saturday’s Grinnell Les Duke Invitational. The field included 152 runners.

Brian Eicher of Hastings College shared the award with Danga. Eicher placed second at last week’s Dakota Wesleyan Invitational.

Mustang Women Share Les Duke Invitational Team Crown


Erin Keitges	Jeremiah Danga

Morningside’s women’s cross country team shared the team championship with host Grinnell College at Saturday’s Les Duke Invitational at Grinnell, Iowa.

Morningside and Grinnell each finished with 60 points to reign over a 10-team field. Grinnell is ranked fifth in the nation in the NCAA Division III ranks.

Erin Keitges, a sophomore from Allen, Neb., was the Mustangs’ top individual finisher with a seventh place time of 24:14 over the 6K course. Kara Nelson, a freshman from Cherokee, Iowa, also cracked the top 10 with a 10th place time of 24:29.

The other Mustang runners who figured in the team score were: Brooke Pottorff, a junior from Corning, Iowa, with the 12th place time of 24:46; Val Crutchley, a junior from Mount Vernon, Iowa, with the 13th place time of 24:46; and Emily Grabow, a senior from Ft. Calhoun, Neb., with the 18th place time of 24:55.

Jeremiah Danga, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ top individual finisher in the men’s 8K race to lead Morningside to a fourth place finish in a 14-team field. Danga was the individual runner-up with a time of 26:47.

The Mustangs will compete in the Woody Greeno Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 15, at Lincoln, Neb.

Click here for complete women's results.

Click here for complete men's results.

Gesink Is GPAC Runner Of The Week

Brian Gesink, a freshman from Sioux Center, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for his performance at last Saturday’s Dordt College Early Bird Invitational in Sioux Center.

Gesink, who was competing in the first collegiate meet of his career, ran a time of 21:39 over the four-mile Sandy Hollow Golf Course track to finish first in the individual standings.

The Mustangs will compete in the Grinnell College Les Duke Invitational on Saturday at Grinnell, Iowa.

Gesink Leads Mustangs To Dordt Invitational Title

Morningside's men's cross country team opened the 2007 season by winning the team championship at Friday's Dordt College Invitational at Sioux Center, Iowa.

The Mustang women were also solid in their season's debut with a second place finish in the team standings.

Freshman Brian Gesink made a sparkling debut by winning the men's individual race with a time of 21:39, while teammate Jeremiah Danga finished right behind in second place with in 21:40. Kasey Hoffman finished fifth with a time of 22:26 and Christopher Nordstrom also cracked the top 10 with the 10th place time of 22:55.

The Mustangs finished with 29 points to triumph by a 32-point margin over runner-up Northwestern College.

Morningside totaled 64 points fo finish second behind Northwestern's 27 points in the women's team standings.

Brooke Pottorff had the Mustangs' best finish in the women's race with a sixth place time of 16:23. Hanna Keesler added a 10th place effort with a time of 16:28.

The Mustangs will compete in the Grinnell College Les Duke Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 8.

Click here for complete results.