Track and Cross Country

Morningside will compete in eight events at the 2012 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships to be held this Thursday through Saturday at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.

The Mustangs’ top prospect for a high finish is Megan Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, who hopes to add a national title in the women’s high jump to the national crown she won in the same event during the indoor season.

Glisar is the NAIA national leader with a season’s best of 5-10 3/4, a school record, that she achieved at this spring’s Sioux City Relays. Glisar is also the Mustangs’ indoor record holder at 5-10 and won this year’s NAIA indoor title with a height of 5-8 3/4.

Glisar’s top challenger for the outdoor crown is Phoenix Duncan of Siena Heights University, who is second in the nation with a season’s best of 5-10 and Glisar beat in a jump-off for this year’s indoor title. Also in the mix are Glisar’s GPAC rivals Alyssa McDowell of Doane College and Mariah Toussaint of Midland University, who are third in the nation with season bests of 5-7 1/4.

The top returning place winner from last year’s NAIA National Championships is Kate Fulton of Central Methodist University. Fulton finished fifth last year, but is only 18th in the nation this season with a best of 5-5. Hailey Schaper of Dickinson State University also returns after a seventh place finish last year. She is tied for third among this year’s qualifiers with a season’s best of 5-7 1/4.

Andy Dougherty, a sophomore from Moville, Iowa, has the sixth highest point total in the men’s decathlon this season with a school-record 6,460 points that garnered him a second place finish at this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Outdoor Championships.

The national leader is Casey Stevick of Azusa Pacific University with 7.227 points, while 2012 NAIA Indoor Heptathlon National Champion Robbie Haynie of Eastern Oregon University is the top returning place winner after a runner-up finish at last year’s meet.

Garret Ehlers, a sophomore from Ida Grove, Iowa, hopes to contend in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase, where he has the nation’s eighth fastest time this season with a school-record clocking of 9:13.79 at the Drake Relays. Ehlers is also the Mustangs’ school-record holder in the 10,000-meters with a time of 32:21.11.

The national leader is Daniel Sorenson of Shorter University with a time of 8:50.48. Sorenson finished sixth at last year’s meet. James Johnstone of Southern Oregon University has the nation’s third fastest time this season at 8:59.54 and is the top returning place winner after a fifth place finish last year. Also in the field is Isaac Updike of Eastern Oregon, who finished eighth last season.

Neeia Cooperwood, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., will be one of the Mustangs’ busiest performers at the national meet as a qualifier in the women’s long jump and the 100-meters.

Cooperwood is 10th in the nation in the long jump with a season’s best of 19-0, which earned her a second place finish at the GPAC Outdoor Championships.

The national leader is Tiosha Beasley of Campbellsville University with a season’s best of 19-11, while 2012 NAIA Indoor National Champion Latanya Nation of Wayland Baptist University is second in the nation with a season’s best of 19-10 1/4. Defending champion Ashlie Stewartson of Shorter returns to defend her title, but is only 26th among the qualifiers with a season’s best of 18-5 3/4. Tamala Daley of Shorter, last year’s national runner-up, is also in the field, as are Bianca Grant of Wayland Baptist and Megan VanWinkle of Azusa Pacific, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively, last year. Grant was the 2010 NAIA National Champion.

Cooperwood has the nation’s 28th fastest time in the 100-meters after she finished fourth at the GPAC Outdoor Championships with a time of 12.18 seconds.

The NAIA national leader is Jura Levy of Oklahoma Baptist University with a time of 11.25. Levy was the NAIA National Champion in the 60-meters during the indoor season. Adella King of Indiana Tech has the second fastest time in the field at 11.26 and is the top returning place winner after a third place finish last year. Seventh and eighth place finishers Henrietta Carey of Taylor University and Natasha Gay of Wayland Baptist also return from last year’s meet.

Jacob Chambers and Ryan Gass each earned NAIA All-America honors during this year’s indoor season and hope to accomplish similar honors this week.

Chambers, a senior from Sheldon, Iowa, will compete in the men’s hammer throw, where he had a season’s best of 187-7 at this year’s Mount Marty College Twilight Meet for the 12th longest throw in the nation this season. Chambers earned All-America honors at this year’s NAIA Indoor National Championships with a seventh place finish in the weight throw.

This year’s national leader in the hammer throw is Darien Moore of Valley City State University with a best of 204-1, while Gabe Wickham of Hastings College, the national champion in the weight throw during the indoor season, is second at 203-7. Wickham is the top returning place winner after a runner-up finish at last year’s meet. Four other place winners from last year’s national meet also return, including fourth place finisher Max Perry of Southern Oregon, fifth place finisher Cody Weber of Hastings, seventh place finisher Bo Johnson of Concordia University (Ore.), and eighth place finisher Derek Rodine of Concordia University (Neb.).

Gass, a senior from Valentine, Neb., will compete in the men’s high jump. His season’s best of 6-7 at the Northwestern College Red Raider Open ranks 16th in the nation. Gass earned All-America honors in the high jump earlier this year with a sixth place finish at the NAIA Indoor National Championships. He became Morningside’s outdoor record holder when he cleared 6-10 during the 2008 campaign.

Eastern Oregon’s Haynie, who is also among the favorites in the decathlon, is the NAIA national leader with a season’s best of 7-1/4. Matt Huseman of Northwestern College was the high jump national champion during the indoor season and is fourth in the field with a season’s best of 6-10 3/4. Huseman finished third at last year’s meet and is the only returning place winner in the field.

Morningside will also compete in the women’s 3200-meter relay. The Mustangs’ winning time of 9:21.92 at this year’s GPAC Outdoor Championships is the 10th fastest in the nation this season.

Hailee Heitkamp, a freshman from Adrian, Minn.; Breanna Mathes, a junior from Cherokee, Iowa; and Cecily Waddell, a sophomore from Weston, Mo., all helped lead the Mustangs to their 3200-meter relay title at the GPAC Outdoor Championships. They will be joined at the national meet by Jessica Weborg, a senior from Elk Point, S.D. Heitkamp, Mathes, and Weborg all earned NAIA All-America honors at this year’s NAIA Indoor National Championships when they helped lead the Mustangs to a third place finish in the distance medley relay.

Weborg is a two-time individual NAIA All-American with a runner-up finish in the mile at this year’s NAIA Indoor National Championships and a fifth place finish in the 1500-meters at last year’s NAIA Outdoor Championships. She is the Morningside record holder in the 1500-meters and the indoor mile and 600-meters.

Mathes earned All-America honors with a fifth place finish in the 1000-meters at this year’s NAIA Indoor Championships and is the Mustangs’ record holder in the event.

Heitkamp is the Morningside record holder in the 400-meter hurdles.

The overwhelming favorite in the 3200-meter relay is Oklahoma Baptist, which won the event at this year’s NAIA Indoor Championships and has the fastest time in the nation by a 12-second margin with a season’s best of 9:03.45.

The NAIA will crown a new 3200-meter relay champion this year after four-time defending champion Simon Fraser University departed for the NCAA Division II ranks. Simon Fraser won eight 3200-meter relay national championships in the last 10 years.

The top eight finishers in each individual and relay event are awarded NAIA All-America status.

Morningside College athletes won five events at the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

Morningside finished fifth in the women’s team standings and sixth in the men’s team standings.

Four of the Mustangs’ triumphs came from the women’s team, including a school-record performance in the 400-meter hurdles from Hailee Heitkamp, a freshman from Adrian, Minn., whose winning time of 1:03.54 broke her previous school-record time of 1:03.66 she set earlier this season.

Megan Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, won the women’s high jump with a height of 5-8 1/2 and also finished seventh in the triple jump with a school-record distance of 36-11 to shatter the previous Morningside standard of 35-6 3/4 set by Kellie Hoffman in 2001.

The Mustangs’ Jessica Weborg, a senior from Elk Point, S.D., also scored a victory for the Morningside women with a time of 4:43.36 in the 1500-meters to compliment a third place finish in the 800-meters with a time of 2:17.93.

Aside from her win in the 400-meter hurdles, Heitkamp also helped lead the Mustangs to victory in the 3200-meter relay, where she joined Cecily Waddell, a sophomore from Weston, Mo.; McKenzie Reece, a junior from Forest City, Iowa; and Breanna Mathes, a junior from Cherokee, Iowa, for a winning time of 9:21.92.

Garret Ehlers, a sophomore from Ida Grove, Iowa, had the top individual performance for the Morningside men’s team with a first place time of 9:40.90 in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Aside from his victory in the steeplechase, Ehlers added a third place finish in the 5000-meters with a time of 15:36.09.

Neeia Cooperwood, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., was one of the Mustangs’ most productive performers with three place winning efforts in the individual events. Her best finish came in the women’s long jump, where she placed second with a distance of 19-0. Cooperwood was fourth in the 100-meters and fifth in the 200-meters with times of 12.18 and 25.42 seconds, respectively.

Morningside also had runner-up finishes from Courtney Ruff, a sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa, with a time of 11:47.17 in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase and Andy Dougherty, a sophomore from Moville, Iowa, with a school-record 6460 points in the men’s decathlon. Dougherty broke his own school record of 6458 points he set last season. Dougherty also finished seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 20.62 seconds.

The top relay performance by the Morningside men came in the 3200-meter event, where the Mustangs finished second with a time of 17:48.97 from the quartet of Eric Koithan, a freshman from Mapleton, Iowa; Taylor Chapman, a sophomore from Spencer, Iowa; Brad Wright, a sophomore from Mullen, Neb.; and John Harris, a junior from Holstein, Iowa.

Ryan Gass, a senior from Valentine, Neb., had a pair of top finishes for the Mustang men with a third place distance of 23-1/2 in the long jump and a fourth place height of 6-7 in the high jump.

Nicole Ausborn, a freshman from Mason City, Iowa, finished fourth in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:59.77 and Mustang teammate Olivia Diggs, a freshman from Ogden, Iowa, was fifth in 12:06.31.

Morningside had fifth place finishes from Blake Schany, a sophomore from Emmetsburg, Iowa, with a time of 1:08.27 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles; Jacob Chambers, a senior from Sheldon, Iowa, with a distance of 171-3 in the men’s hammer throw; and Chapman with a time of 1:55.81 in the men’s 800-meters.

The Mustangs’ other individual place winners were Kayla Arlt, a freshman from Oakland, Neb., with a sixth place time of 1:08.53 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles; Jay Welp, a freshman from Marcus, Iowa, with a sixth place time of 10:16.26 in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase; Dominic Means, a freshman from Ida Grove, Iowa, with a seventh place time of 57.28 in the men’s 400-meter hurdles; Lisa Grosvenor, a senior from Newcastle, Neb., with a seventh place time of 44:31.57 in the women’s 10,000-meters; Breanna Mathes, a junior from Cherokee, Iowa, with a seventh place time of 2:21.29; and Preston Nibaur, a sophomore from Austin, Minn., with an eighth place time of 22.10 in the men’s 200-meters.

Morningside finished fourth in the women’s 1600-meter relay with a time of 3:59.63 from the quartet of Heitkamp, Mathes, Weborg, and Cooperwood.

Mariah Stauffer, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb.; Cooperwood, Lydia Bienlien, a junior from Glenwood, Iowa; and Glisar combined to lead the Mustangs to a fifth place finish in the women’s 400-meter relay with a time of 49.73 seconds.

Morningside finished sixth in the men’s 400-meter relay with a time of 42.76 from Kyle Kinney, a freshman from Sioux City; Nibaur, Shaun Ryan, a sophomore from Le Mars, Iowa; and Mike Huseman, a junior from Alta, Iowa. The Mustangs were also sixth in the men’s 1600-meter relay, where Nibaur, Wright, Huseman, and Harris combined for a time of 3:20.01.

Morningside College track & field and cross country head coach Dave Nash has announced the names of 12 recruits who will join the Mustangs for the 2012-13 academic year.

Aubrey Barnes, a distance runner from Rock Island, Ill. Barnes will join the Mustangs with junior eligibility as a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, where he placed third in the 1000-meters with a time of 2:42.78 at this year’s National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Indoor Championships.

He finished sixth in the 1000-meters at the NJCAA Region XI Indoor Championships as a freshman with a time of 2:40.36. Barnes is a 2010 graduate of Rock Island High School.

Colby Casper, a cross country and distance runner from Sioux City. Casper is a senior at Sioux City North High School, where his best times so far this season are 4:54.84 in the 1600-meters and 10:46.07 in the 3200-meters.

Jessie Hamman, a hurdler from Manson, Iowa. Hamman is a senior at Manson-Northwest Webster High School, where she has a top time of 1:06.36 in the 400-meter hurdles so far this season.

As a junior, Hamman ran the second leg for a Manson-Northwest Webster shuttle hurdle relay team that was the Class 1A state runner-up with a time of 1:09.71. She was also a state qualifier in the 800-meter relay. Hamman ran the leadoff leg for a Manson-Northwest Webster shuttle hurdle relay team that placed sixth at the Class 1A state meet and was also a state qualifier in the 800-meter and 1600-meter relays during her sophomore campaign. As a freshman, Hamman helped lead Manson-Northwest Webster to a sixth place finish in the 800-meter relay at the Class 2A state meet and was also a state qualifier in the distance medley relay.

Ted Hanson, a distance runner from Castana, Iowa. Hanson is a senior at Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto High School, where his best times this season are 2:03.23 in the 800-meters, 4:39.33 in the 1600-meters, and 9:57.99 in the 3200-meters.

Halie Hoch, a cross country and distance runner from South Sioux City, Neb. Hoch is a senior at South Sioux City High School, where she finished 10th at her Class B district cross country meet with a time of 16:56 and 55th at the Class B state meet with a time of 17:10.3 this past season.

She finished fifth in the 800-meters with a time of 2:30.31 at her Class A district meet as a junior.

Emily Keim, a weight thrower from Sterling, Neb., who is a senior at Sterling High School, where she has a season's best of 37-6 in the shot put so far this season.

Keim was a district meet runner-up in the shot put with a distance of 34-10 3/4 and finished 16th at the Class D state meet with a distance of 33-1 1/2 last season.

Elizabeth Kube, a cross country and distance runner from Crofton, Neb. Kube is a senior at Crofton High School, where she was part of four consecutive Class D state championship cross country teams.

Her best individual finish at the state meet came as a freshman when she finished 15th with a time of 16:35.0. Kube finished 27th at the state meet as a sophomore, 33rd as a junior, and 35th as a senior.

Tasha Lechtenberg, a distance runner from O’Neill, Neb. Lechtenberg is a senior at O’Neill High School, where she is a varsity letterwinner for O’Neill’s cross country and track & field teams and was a cross country state meet qualifier as a junior.

Kyle McGlade, a cross country and distance runner from Council Bluffs, Iowa. McGlade is a senior at Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson High School, where he was an All-Missouri River Activities Conference (MRAC) cross country runner. As a junior he finished second in the MRAC cross country championships. As a sophomore he ran the anchor leg for a 3200-meter relay team that qualified for the Class 4A state meet.

Allison Schreiner, a sprinter-long jumper from Remsen, Iowa. Schreiner is a senior at Remsen-Union High School, where her top times this season are 13.02 seconds in the 100-meters, 26.81 in the 200-meters, and 1:01.18 in the 400-meters. She also has a best of 15-10 1/2 in the long jump.

She had season’s bests of 12.77 in the 100-meters, 26.63 in the 200-meters, and 1:01.72 in the 400-meters as a junior and was a Class 1A state qualifier in all three events. Schreiner was a state qualifier in the 100 and 400-meters as a sophomore and the 200-meters as a freshman.

Ebony Stone, a sprinter from Le Mars, Iowa. Stone is a senior at Le Mars Community High School, where her fastest times of the season are 13.70 seconds in the 100-meters and 28.59 in the 200-meters.

She had a season’s best of 12.90 seconds in the 100-meters as a junior and ran the second leg for a Le Mars 400-meter relay team that placed eighth at the Class 3A state meet. Stone also helped lead the Bulldogs to an eighth place finish in the 400-meter relay at the state meet as a sophomore and was also a state qualifier in the sprint medley relay.

Meagan Streyffeler, a hurdler from Indianola, Iowa. Streyffeler is a senior at Martensdale-St. Mary’s High School, where she ran the anchor leg for 1600-meter relay teams that qualified for the Class 1A state meet each of the past three years. Her best times this season are 16.35 in the 100-meter hurdles and 1:06.71 in the 400-meter hurdles.

She was a Class 1A state qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles, the 400-meter hurdles, and the shuttle hurdle relay last season. As a sophomore, Streyffeler placed third in the 400-meter hurdles at the Class 1A state meet with a time of 1:06.04 and was a state qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles and the shuttle hurdle relay. She placed seventh in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.01 seconds, helped lead Martensdale-St. Mary’s to a fifth place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay, and finished ninth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.64 at the state meet as a freshman.

Taylor Woods, a weight thrower from Cherokee, Iowa. Woods is a senior at Cherokee Washington High School, where she finished fifth in the shot put at this year’s state indoor meet with a distance of 37-10. Her best performances so far this season are 39-1 in the shot put and 115-2 in the discus.

Woods had season’s best of 39-2 in the shot put and 108-2 in the discus last year and was a Class 2A state meet place winner in both events with a seventh place distance of 37-1/2 in the shot put and an eighth place spin of 93-9 in the discus. She finished 12th in the shot put with a distance of 34-11 at the Class 2A state meet as a sophomore.

Neeia Cooperwood, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Field Event Athlete of the Week for April 16-22.

Cooperwood won the long jump at last weekend’s Northwestern College Red Raider Open with a distance of 18-3. Aside from her victory in the long jump, Cooperwood also triumphed in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.52 seconds and finished third in the 100-meters with a time of 12.33 seconds.

Megan Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Field Event Athlete of the Week for April 9-15.

Glisar won the high jump at last weekend’s Sioux City Relays with a height of 5-10 3/4 to shatter the former Morningside school record of 5-6 1/4 set by Jennifer Gould in 2005. Glisar also broke the previous Sioux City Relays meet record of 5-10 1/2 set by Dawn Putman-Vinyard of Buena Vista University in 1998.

Glisar’s height of 5-10 3/4 is the best in the NAIA for the 2012 outdoor season. Glisar won the NAIA National Championship during the indoor season with a height of 5-8 3/4.

Jessica Weborg, a senior from Elk Point, S.D., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week for April 2-8.

Weborg was the 800-meter champion at last Thursday’s Dordt College Invitational in Sioux Center, Iowa. Weborg topped a field of 22 runners with a time of 2:16.67 for the 10th fastest time in the nation so far this season.

The Mustangs will compete in this weekend's Sioux City Relays.

Breanna Mathes, a junior from Cherokee, Iowa, is the female nominee from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) for the NAIA’s 2012 A.O. Duer Award.

The Duer Award was established in 1967 to recognize a junior male and female student-athlete who has excelled in character, playing ability, and scholarship. The award is named after former NAIA executive director Al Duer, who constantly sought to promote an integration of education and sport in the NAIA, reflecting an ideal balance between work and play, body, mind and spirit. Candidates must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale.

Mathes is a standout distance runner for the Mustangs’ women’s track & field team. She is the Morningside record holder in the indoor 1000-meters with a time of 2:56.75 and is part of school-record holding relay teams in the indoor and outdoor 3200-meter and distance medley events. Mathes placed fifth in the 1000-meters at this year’s NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships to earn All-America honors and also helped the Mustangs earn All-America laurels in the distance medley relay with a third place finish. Mathes was the 2012 GPAC indoor champion in the 1000-meters and the 2011 GPAC outdoor champion in the 800-meters.

Mathes has a 3.99 cumulative grade point average with a major in mathematics teaching. She is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta freshman women’s honor society, Kappa Delta Pi education honor society, and Kappa Mu Epsilon mathematics honor society.

Garret Ehlers, a sophomore from Ida Grove, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

Ehlers won the 3000-men’s steeplechase at last Saturday’s Wayne State College Wildcat Classic with a meet and school-record time of 9:23.61. The time is the fifth fastest in the NAIA so far this season.

Ehlers broke one of the oldest standards in the Morningside record book. The previous Morningside record of 9:43.0 was set by Andy Dunlap in 1983. Ehlers’ time also shattered the previous meet record of 9:33.65 set by James Hansen of Black Hills State University in 2006.

The Mustangs will compete in the Dordt College Invitational on Thursday in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Morningside College track & field and cross country head coach Dave Nash has announced the names of four high school recruits who will join the Mustangs this fall.

Mark Abrams, a distance and cross country runner from Glenwood, Iowa. Abrams is a senior at Glenwood High School, where he helped lead the school to last year’s Class 3A track & field state championship. Abrams finished eighth in the 1600-meters at the 3A state meet with a time of 4:25.85 and ran the second leg for a 3200-meter relay team that was the state runner-up. Abrams was a Class 3A state qualifier in the 800-meters and helped lead Glenwood to a seventh place state meet finish in the 3200-meter relay as a sophomore.

Abrams finished 10th at the 2011 Class 3A cross country state meet with a time of 15:59.75 and was the runner-up at his district meet with a time of 16:28. He finished 21st at the state meet as a junior and 30th as a sophomore.

Shelby Hall, a middle distance runner from Woodbine, Iowa. Hall is a senior at Woodbine High School, where she ran the anchor leg for a distance medley relay team that won last year’s Class 1A state championship. She also placed fourth in the Class 1A 800-meters with a time of 2:21.44 at last year’s state meet and was a state qualifier in the 1600-meter relay. Hall’s best times of the season were 2:21.20 in the 800-meters and 1:02.08 in the 400-meters.

Mercedes Liparoto, a hurdler from Malvern, Iowa. Liparoto is a senior at Glenwood High School, where she was a Class 3A state qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles and the shuttle hurdle relay last year. Her fastest time of the season in the 100-meter hurdles was 16.39 seconds. As a sophomore, Liparoto anchored Glenwood to a fourth place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay at the Class 3A state meet.

Cara Olerich, a weight thrower from Dakota City, Neb. Olerich is a senior at Homer High School, where she was a district champion and a state place winner in the shot put last year. She won her district meet with a distance of 39-7 and placed fifth in the Class C state meet with a distance of 38-9 1/2.

Megan Glisar won a national championship in the women’s high jump, two other Morningside athletes were national runner-ups, and Morningside had an additional two All-America performances in a productive closing day in Saturday’s action at the 2012 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio.

Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, triumphed in the women’s high jump with a height of 5-8 3/4.

Glisar, a former NCAA Division I athlete who joined the Mustangs as a transfer from the University of Iowa, was undefeated in seven meets during the indoor season, including a school-record performance when she cleared 5-10 at the Buena Vista University Graphic Edge Open on Feb. 11. She was a four-time Iowa state champion during her prep career at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School.

Monte Larsen, a senior from Neola, Iowa, who anchored the Mustangs to a NAIA National Championship in the distance medley relay on Friday, earned All-America honors with a runner-up finish in Saturday’s final of the men’s 600-meters. Larsen had a time of 1:19.34 to finish behind Dewayne Booker of Wayland Baptist University, who edged Larsen at the finish in 1:19.15. Larsen was the runner-up in the event for the second year in a row.

Jessica Weborg, a senior from Elk Point, S.D., finished second in the women’s mile to earn All-America honors. Weborg ran a school-record time of 4:55.55 to finish behind defending champion Victoria Martinez of Azusa Pacific University, who had a time of 4:48.78. Weborg shattered the previous Morningside record of 5:02.20 by Gina DeWitt in 1993.

Morningside also had a school-record performance from Breanna Mathes, a junior from Cherokee, Iowa, who earned All-America honors with a fifth place time of 2:56.75 in the women’s 1000-meters. Mathes broke her own Morningside record of 2:57.09 she set last year.

Mathes, Lydia Bienlien, a junior from Glenwood, Iowa; Hailee Heitkamp, a freshman from Adrian, Minn.; and Weborg led the Mustangs to a third place finish in the women’s distance medley relay with a time of 12:09.22 to earn All-America honors. They set a school record with a time of 12:05.51 in Thursday’s prelims.

Morningside finished in seventh place in the final women's team standings with 28 points and finished 11th in the men's standings with 20.86 points.

Morningside won its first-ever national championship in a track & field event at the NAIA level when the Mustangs triumphed in the men’s 3200-meter relay on Friday at the 2012 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio.

The Mustangs’ All-America quartet of Brad Wright, a sophomore from Mullen, Neb.; Taylor Chapman, a sophomore from Spencer, Iowa; John Harris, a junior from Holstein, Iowa; and Monte Larsen, a senior from Neola, Iowa, combined for a school-record time of 7:33.55 to edge Wayland Baptist University (7:33.99) at the finish line. The Mustangs shattered their previous school-record time of 7:38.75 that they ran in Thursday’s prelims.

The Mustangs’ splits were a 1:55.1 by Wright, a 1:55.9 by Chapman, a 1:51.6 by Harris, and a 1:50.3 anchor by Larsen.

Larsen also qualified for Saturday’s final in the men’s 600-meters after he won his Friday preliminary heat with a time of 1:20.38. Larsen, the regular season national leader with a time of 1:18.95, has the third fastest qualifying time for the final behind Edwin Ronoh (1:1954) of Doane College and Dewayne Booker (1:20.36) of Wayland Baptist.

Morningside had two athletes earn NAIA All-America status with place winning efforts in Friday’s individual events.

Ryan Gass, a senior from Valentine, Neb., tied for sixth place in the men’s high jump with a height of 6-6.

Jacob Chambers, a senior from Sheldon, Iowa, placed seventh in the men’s weight throw with a career-best distance of 60-4. Chambers shattered his regular season best of 57-8 1/4 that earned him a fourth place finish at this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Mathes advanced to Saturday’s final in the women’s 1000-meters after she finished third in her preliminary heat with a time of 2:57.99 to rank seventh among the finalists. Ellie Staker of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the national leader during the regular season, qualified for the final with the fastest time of 2:54.35.

Neeia Cooperwood, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., competed in the women’s long jump, but failed to advance to the final after she fouled on all three of her attempts in the prelims.

Morningside qualified for Friday’s final in the men’s 3200-meter relay with the fastest time in the field with a school-record time of 7:38.75 in Thursday’s semifinals at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio.

The Mustangs’ quartet of Wright, Chapman, Harris, and Larsen broke the former Morningside record of 7:40.05 set by Brian Gesink, Garret Ehlers, Harris, and Larsen last year.

Their time was almost four seconds faster than anyone else in the field. Carroll College had the second fastest qualifying time for the finals with a 7:42.44.

Morningside also qualified for Saturday’s final in the women’s distance medley relay. The Mustangs’ quartet of Mathes, Lydia Bienlien, a junior from Glenwood, Iowa; Hailee Heitkamp, a freshman from Adrian, Minn.; and Jessica Weborg, a senior from Elk Point, S.D., won their heat with a school-record time of 12:05.51 to rank second among the finalists behind Azusa Pacific University’s time of 11:54.91. They shattered the former Morningside school record of 12:08.44 set by Kara Nelson, Deidre Hinkeldey, Weborg, and Erin Keitges in 2010.

Morningside also competed in the men’s 1600-meter relay, but failed to advance to the finals after Mike Huseman, a junior from Alta, Iowa; Wright, Harris, and Larsen ran the 13th fastest time in the prelims with a 3:17.99.

Monte Larsen, a senior from Neola, Iowa, received the Men’s Most Outstanding Performance of the Meet award from last Saturday’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships held in Lincoln, Neb.

In addition to Larsen’s top performance award, the Mustangs’ Dave Nash was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Co-Coach of the Year along with Doane College’s Ed Fye.

Larsen earned the outstanding performance award for his 47.9-second 400-meter split when he anchored the Mustangs to a GPAC record-breaking time of 3:16.14 in the 1600-meter relay. Morningside carved a second off the previous GPAC standard of 3:17.16 that was set by Doane in 2007.
Larsen also anchored the Mustangs to a victory in the 3200-meter relay and was an individual champion in the 600-meters and 1000-meters with times of 1:19.39 and 2:31.88, respectively.

Nash guided the Mustangs to a third place finish in the men’s team standings for their highest finish ever at the GPAC Indoor Championships. Nash also coached the Mustangs to a third place finish in the women’s team standings. He was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year in 2009.

Morningside College athletes won nine events and the Mustangs finished in third place in the team standings in both the men’s and women’s divisions at the 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships held Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

Monte Larsen, a senior from Neola, Iowa, played a role in four of the Mustangs’ five triumphs in the men’s competition. Larsen won two individual events with first place times of 1:19.39 in the 600-meters and 2:31.88 in the 1000-meters and ran the anchor leg for two winning relay teams.

The Mustangs’ most impressive relay victory came in the 1600-meter event, where the quartet of John Harris, a junior from Holstein, Iowa; Mike Huseman, a junior from Alta, Iowa; Brad Wright, a sophomore from Mullen, Neb.; and Larsen triumphed with a time of 3:16.14 to break the existing GPAC meet record of 3:17.16 set by Doane College in 2007. They also broke the former Morningside school-record time of 3:17.34 set in 1992.

Morningside also reigned in the men’s 3200-meter relay with a time of 7:53.02 from the quartet of Taylor Chapman, a sophomore from Spencer, Iowa; Jay Welp, a freshman from Marcus, Iowa; Wright, and Larsen.

Garret Ehlers, a sophomore from Ida Grove, Iowa, won the men’s 5000-meters with a time of 15:13.41 to compliment a fourth place time of 8:51.41 in the 3000-meters.

Megan Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, stayed undefeated in the women’s high jump with a winning height of 5-6 1/2 for her sixth triumph in as many meets this winter. Glisar also finished seventh in the long jump with a distance of 17-0 and eighth in the 200-meters with a time of 26.39 seconds.

The Morningside women also scored individual triumphs from Breanna Mathes with a time of 2:58.95 in the 1000-meters and Jessica Weborg with a time of 5:05.94 in the mile. Weborg also finished third in the 800-meters with a time of 2:18.71, while Mathes ran fifth in the 400-meters with a time of 59.18.

Morningside won the women’s 3200-meter relay with a time of 9:36.96 from the quartet of McKenzie Reece, a junior from Forest City, Iowa; Cecily Waddell, a sophomore from Weston, Mo.; Blake Schany, a sophomore from Emmetsburg, Iowa; and Hailee Heitkamp, a freshman from Adrian, Minn.

Wright ran second behind Larsen with a time of 1:21.456 in the 600-meters and Ryan Gass, a senior from Valentine, Neb., had a runner-up finish with a height of 6-6 3/4 in the men’s high jump.

Neeia Cooperwood, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., was the runner-up in the women’s long jump with a distance of 18-1/4. She had two other top five finishes with a third place time of 7.92 seconds in the 60-meters and a fifth place time of 25.83 in the 200-meters.

Courtney Ruff and Lydia Ford were also multiple event place winners for the Mustang women. Ruff, a sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa, finished fourth in the 5000-meters and sixth in the 3000-meters with times of 18:28.77 and 10:50.08, respectively. Ford finished fifth in the 5000-meters with a time of 18:31.13 and seventh in the 3000-meters with a time of 10:53.77.

Harris finished third in the men’s 800-meters with a time of 1:56.86 and fifth in the 400-meters with a time of 49.01. Welp also had a third place finish with a time of 2:33.37 in the men’s 1000-meters.

The Mustangs had a third place finish with a time of 4:00.67 from their women’s 1600-meter relay team of Lydia Bienlien, a junior from Glenwood, Iowa; Weborg, Heitkamp, and Mathes.

Jacob Chambers, a senior from Sheldon, Iowa, finished fourth in the men’s weight throw with a distance of 57-8 1/4, while Curtis Rife, a senior from Mondamin, Iowa, was fifth in the men’s high jump at 6-4 3/4.

Huseman placed in two individual events with a sixth place time of 49.46 seconds in the men’s 400-meters and the seventh place time of 7.04 in the men’s 60-meters. His time in the 60-meters broke the former Morningside record of 7.05 set by Julien Pomerleau last season.

Morningside’s other place winners were: Heitkamp with a sixth place time of 2:22.46 in the women’s 800-meters; Bienlien with a seventh place time of 1:39.56 in the women’s 600-meters; Reece with a seventh place time of 3:09.11 in the women’s 1000-meters; Mariah Stauffer, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb., with a seventh place time of 9.80 in the women’s 60-meter hurdles; Olivia Diggs, a freshman from Ogden, Iowa, with an eighth place time of 5:28.50 in the women’s mile; Jenna Kral, a senior from Crete, Neb., with an eighth place time of 19:07.78 in the women’s 5000-meters; Chapman with an eighth place time of 1:58.50 in the men’s 800-meters; and Andy Dougherty, a sophomore from Moville, Iowa, with 4,234 points in the men’s heptathlon.

Megan Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Indoor Field Event Athlete of the Week.

Glisar won the high jump with a school-record height of 5-10 at last Saturday’s Buena Vista University Open in Storm Lake, Iowa. She broke her own school record of 5-9 1/4 she set earlier this season at the Dordt Invitational.

Her height of 5-10 is the best in the nation in the NAIA ranks this season. Glisar, who received the GPAC Field Event Athlete of the Week award for the second time this season, has won the high jump in all five meets she has competed in this season.

Monte Larsen, a senior from Neola, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week.

Larsen won the 800-meters at last Saturday’s Dordt College Invitational with a time of 1:52.79 for the third fastest time in the nation this season.

Megan Glisar, a sophomore from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, has been named the NAIA National Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week and Monte Larsen, a senior from Neola, Iowa, is the NAIA National Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week.

They were also named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Indoor Field Athlete and Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week.

Glisar, a transfer from NCAA Division I University of Iowa and a four-time state champion in the high jump during her prep career at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School, shattered the Morningside school record in the indoor high jump in her Mustang debut at last Saturday’s Dordt College Invitational in Sioux Center, Iowa. She cleared 5-9 1/4 to topple the previous Morningside standard of 5-5, which had been achieved five times, including three times by Anne Torkelson. Glisar’s height is the top performance in the nation so far this season.

Aside from her win in the high jump, Glisar also helped lead Morningside to a second place finish in the 1600-meter relay and placed fifth in the 200-meters with a time of 27.29 seconds.

Larsen won the 600-meters and the 1000-meters and anchored the Mustangs to a victory in the 1600-meter relay at the Dordt Invitational. His time of 1:20.53 in the 600-meters is the fastest in the nation so far this season, while his time of 2:28.71 in the 1000-meters is the second fastest in the nation and broke the former Morningside school record of 2:29.31 by Josh Dickinson in 1995.