From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Ten Missouri Southern athletes earned All-American status on the first day of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Lions finished second in the men’s distance medley relay — in a thrilling finish — and fifth in the women’s DMR on Friday at the University of New Mexico.
Senior Ciara Lipsey tied for sixth place in the pole vault and senior Emilie Mieseler was seventh in the weight throw.
The Lions have five more individuals qualified for events today.
The final race of the day was the highlight for the Southern men. Brennan Benkert, running the mile anchor leg, moved the Lions from fifth place to second.
Aaron Braun of Adams (Colo.) State held off Benkert down the final straightaway. Adams State ran the distance in 9 minutes, 53.33 seconds to Southern’s 9:54.97.
“Brennan is running awesome,” Southern coach Tom Rutledge said of his senior distance ace, who had qualified for today’s final in the mile a couple of hours before the relay. “He just started picking those guys off one by one.
“Our guys just battled all year, then they ran the race of their lives today at the right time. It did us good to come out here and run earlier (in the outdoor season). It was all worth it.”
Junior Aki Nummela ran the opening 1,200-meter leg in 3:02.66. Junior Kevin Wright ran the 400 in 49.52 seconds and senior Dustin Dixon ran the 800 in 1:55.98.
Dixon, battling a leg injury, was moved down from the 1,200, trading places with Nummela from the normal rotation.
Pittsburg State runners — Tim Testa, Darius Johnson, James Ward and M.J. Hassaballa — finished sixth at 10:03.96.
The Southern women also had a strong finish in the relay, with senior Courtney Waltbillig moving the Lions up from seventh place. Senior Ashley Bunch, sophomore Cyarra Prince and junior Carita Riutta ran the first three legs.
The Lions were timed in 11:58.91. The adjustment for Albuquerque’s mile-high altitude will give Southern a school record with the performance, coach Patty Vavra said.
“Just like at conference, Courtney ran a steady race,” Vavra said.
Lipsey cleared 12-2 in the pole vault and Mieseler had a throw of 58-4 3/4 in the weight event. Both just missed season-best performances.
“Any time you’re on the podium at the national championships, you have to be proud of that,” Vavra said.
Two Southern men failed to qualify for today’s finals. Junior Chris Brown cleared 6-7 in the high jump and senior Jordan Patton ran the 200-meter dash in 22.01 seconds.
Pittsburg State senior Brian Allen, from Joplin, was fifth in the weight with a throw of 67-7.
Southern’s qualifiers today are Benkert in the mile, Kimi Shank in the 5,000 meters, Nicole Green in the shot put, Channell Lloyd in the triple jump and Lisa Vengels in the high jump.
