NAIA Championships start today. Andre Townsend will run prelims of 110m Hurdles at 2:40 EST today.

Griesbaum Qualifies as Trojans Wrap Up Regular Season

The last weekend of the regular season proved to be eventful as the Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team added one additional team member to the traveling party for the national meet next week in Indiana.

Competing in cold and rainy conditions, distance runner Nicole Griesbaum competed in the Bridge the Gap to Health Half Marathon in Quincy, IL on Saturday and completed the 13.1 mile course in a blazing time of 1:30:35. That effort established a new school record in the event and was well under the automatic qualifying time for the marathon at the 2011 NAIA National Championships. Nicole also finished as the second female finisher and was 13th out of 430 total competitors. Teammate Zach Lewis compete in the race as well, and he came through with a solid half marathon debut, finishing first in his age group and 18th overall in a time of 1:31:40.

Three members of the men's team competed in the Chicago area this weekend and, despite battling poor weather, came through with some solid performances.

On Friday, the group competed at North Central College. Chris Smith competed in the high jump and placed 6th with a best jump of 1.95m (6'4.75"). Andre Townsend placed 5rd in the 100m dash (10.83) and came back to take a 3rd place finish in the 200m dash (21.97). Both of those efforts established new school records that Andre already held. Easton Padden had another solid effort in the pole vault, placing 7th with a top vault of 4.72m (15'5.75").

With the regular season now complete, the following six  Hannibal-LaGrange track & field athletes will set their sights on the 2011 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, which will be held in Marion, Indiana, on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University, May 26-28:

WOMEN
Breanna Newton - 1500m
Nicole Griesbaum - Marathon
Holland McCoy - High Jump

MEN
Andre Townsend - 110m hurdles
Philiph Tonui - Marathon
Easton Padden - Pole Vault

Stay tuned to the blog for updates from the national meet!

Outstanding Efforts for Trio at Indiana University

RESULTS

A trio of Hannibal-Lagrange Track & Field athletes traveled to Bloomington, Indiana this past Friday to compete in the prestigious Bill Hayes Invitational, held on the campus of Indiana University. Each athlete came to compete against tremendous competition, and they rose to the occasion with some outstanding results.

Breanna Newton placed 3^rd in the 1500m run in a time of 4:40.22. Running in a heat of all NCAA Division 1 athletes, Breanna cut five seconds off of her personal best time and that time allowed her to be the 5^th HLG athlete to qualify for the 2011 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships later this month. The time also established a new HLG school record.

Easton Padden: Placed 4^th in the pole vault with a personal best and school record mark of 4.85m (15’11”). Easton’s mark surpasses the NAIA automatic qualifying standard for the championship meet and has him ranked #6 in the NAIA going into the final week of the regular season.

Andre Townsend: Has already qualified for the national meet in both the 110m hurdles and 400m Hurdles and competed in the 100m and 200m dashes at IU as he is working back into form after a mid-season injury. Andre placed 11^th in the 100m dash (11.02) and 12^th in the 200m (22.19) and both times established new school records.

Assistant Coach Jason Scott cleared 5.20m (17'0.75") in the pole vault to take home the victory in that event.

As we head into the final week of the regular season, a few more athletes will be competing to add to the growing list of HLG athletes who have qualified for the national meet. On Thursday, May 12, Carissa Eichmeyer will travel to St. Louis to compete in a 5K race walk. On Saturday, May 14, Nicole Griesbaum will be running the Bridge the Gap to Health Half Marathon in Quincy, IL in an attempt to qualify for the marathon, while Chris Smith (high jump) and John Anderson (400m Hurdles) will compete at a last chance meet hosted by Emporia State University in Emporia, KS.

The NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will be held May 26-28 in Marion, Indiana on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.

Andre townsend goes 22.19 in 200m. Earlier in the day, Andre went 11.02 in 100m dash.

Easton Padden just cleared 15' 10" in pole vault and is still in the competition. That mark is well over the A standard for NAIA National meet.

Breanna runs 4:40.22 in 1500 to place 4th and qualify for NAIA National meet.

Meet at Indiana U starts at 3pm EST today. Will post results as they are available. Andre, Easton, Chris, and Breanna competing for Trojans today.

Women Claim AMC Outdoor Track & Field Title

RESULTS

During a three-day stretch that included countless clutch performances, the Hannibal-LaGrange University women's track & field team earned their first American Midwest Conference outdoor track & field championship this past weekend in Lebanon, IL. The ladies team score of 175 points outpaced three-time defending champion McKendree (155), William Woods (145), Park (83), and Missouri Baptist (68).

Consistency proved to be the key for the Lady Trojans as they were victorious in only four events. On day one of the meet, junior Jocelyn Bright stepped up for her last throw in the javelin in third place. However, Jocelyn unleashed a toss of 32.86m (107'10"), a nearly ten foot personal best,  to claim victory in the event.  Mandi Riddle capped off a terrific freshman year by taking the gold in both the 100m Hurdles (17.45) and 400m Hurdles (1:08.16). Senior Cara Grinde capped off her collegiate career by claiming victory in the pole vault, with a top vault of 3.20m (10'6').

In all, the Lady Trojans came through with 12 All-Conference performances. One of the highlights of the meet was the emergence of sophomore Holland McCoy, who scored points in six different events. Holland's effort included a runner-up finish in the high jump, where her leap of 1.65m (5'5") set a new school record and qualified her for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. Holland finished 3rd in the 400m Hurdles, 3rd in the pole vault, 4th in the 100m Hurdles, 6th in the triple jump, and 4th on a record-setting 4x400m relay team. Freshman Breanna Newton continued her impressive debut by taking runner-up finishes in both the 800m (2:18.30) and 1500m (4:45.21) events. Both marks leave Breanna just shy of NAIA qualifying standards and she will have two more attempts to qualify before the end of the regular season.

Perhaps the most gutsy effort came from junior Jasman Edmond. Suffering an upper leg injury, and unsure of whether or not she would be able to compete at all in the championships, Jasman pressed on taking second place in the 100m dash in a school-record time of 12.62. She returned the following day to lead off the third-place finishing 4x100m relay team before ending her heroic effort by placing 5th in the 200m dash (26.93). In the 400m dash, freshman Sarah Wilson became the first HLG sprinter to break one minute in the open event, earning the silver with a time of 59.87. Sarah placed seventh in the 200m dash and competed on both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.

Nicole Griesbaum came through with big efforts in the long distance events, placing third in the 10,000m race (42:02.96) to earn All-Conference honors. Nicole followed up that effort with a fifth place finish in the 5000m run (20:30.28). Senior Carissa Eichmeyer placed second in the 5000m Race Walk (32:46.64) while teammate Chelsea Holmstrom placed third (40:36.17). Brittni Klundt fought through illness to finish 5th in the high jump, with a season best mark of 1.55m (5'1"). Freshman Molley Patrick took home All-Conference honors by way of her third-place effort in the discus (32.14m) while also placing 6th in the javelin (24.58m). Fellow freshman Cailey Wilkinson placed second in the pole vault (3.05m) to earn All-Conference status while also placing 3rd in the 100m Hurdles and 4th in the 400m Hurdles. Abbie Herrold placed 4th in the women's hammer throw (31.32m) while teammate Alera Gill-Binder took 6th place in the shot put (10.42m).

In all, the Lady Trojans earned 12 All-Conference awards and broke 6 school records. In addition, Head Coach Jason Lewkowicz was named the 2011 AMC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.

An injury plagued men's team did not have the numbers to compete for a conference crown but that did not prevent them from putting forth a gutsy effort, highlighted by three event champions and seven All-Conference honors. The team finished 4th in the team standings, scoring a total of 93 points.

Junior Andre Townsend battled through a lingering back injury to win the 110m Hurdles. His time of 14.65 seconds hit the automatic qualifying standard for the 2011 Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Andre would return later in the meet to place third in the 200m dash with a time of 22.65. Sophomore John Anderson defended his title in the javelin, braking his own school and conference record in the event with his toss of 47.55m (156'0"). John also earned All-Conference honors  with his runner-up finish in the 400m Hurdles (56.54), while placing third in the 110m Hurdles (16.25) and leading off a school record breaking 4x400m relay team. Freshman Easton Padden earned his first outdoor track & field title in the pole vault with a best mark of 4.27m (14'0").

Junior Philiph Tonui helped the men's 4x800m relay team break the school record in the event with their third place finish (8:10.29) and returned a short while later to win the 10,000m run in a time of 33.17.39. Sophomore Zach Lewis wrapped up a solid season with a 5th place showing in the 800m race with a time of 1:58.10, while also competing on the 4x800m relay squad. Junior Chris Smith earned the silver in the high jump with a top leap of 1.96m (6'5") and just missed clearing 2.01m, a mark that would qualify him for the national meet. Junior Michael Clemons took home a 4th place finish in the triple jump with a best leap of 12.56m (41'2.5").

As of the conclusion of this meet, four HLG track & field athletes have qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National championships, which will take place May 26-28 in Marion, IN. Andre Townsend (110m Hurdles & 400m Hurdles), Philiph Tonui (10,000m & Marathon), Easton Padden (Pole Vault), and Holland McCoy (High Jump) have punched their ticket to nationals and teammates Breanna Newton (800 & 1500),  Chris Smith (high jump), and John Anderson (400m Hurdles) will travel to Bloomington, IN this Friday to compete in the Bill Hayes Invitational in hopes of also qualifying for the national meet. In addition, Nicole Griesbaum will be competing in a half marathon in Quincy, IL on May 14 in hopes of qualifying for the marathon at the national meet.

AMC Event Champions
Women
Mandi Riddle - 110m Hurdles & 400m Hurdles
Jocelyn Bright - Javelin
Cara Grinde - Pole Vault
Men
Andre Townsend - 110m Hurdles
Philiph Tonui - 10,000m
John Anderson - Javelin

All-Conference Honors
Women 
Jasman Edmond - 100m
Mandi Ridle - 100m Hurdles; 400m Hurdles
Sarah Wilson - 400m
Breanna Newton - 800m; 1500m
Nicole Griesbaum - 10,000m
Holland McCoy - High Jump
Cara Grinde - Pole Vault
Cailey Wilkinson - Pole Vault
Molley Patrick - Discus
Jocelyn Bright - Javelin
Men
Andre Townsend - 110m Hurdles; 200m
John Anderson - 400m Hurdles; Javelin
Philiph Tonui - 10,000m
Chris Smith - High Jump
Easton Padden - Pole Vault

New School Records
Women
Jasman Edmond: 100m (12.62)
Sarah Wilson: 400m (59.87)
Breanna Newton: 800m (2:18.30) & 1500m (4:45.21)
Holland McCoy: High Jump (1.65m - 5'5")
Sarah Wilson, Holland McCoy, Mandi Riddle, Breanna Newton: 4x400m (4:07.15)
Men
Andre Townsend: 110m Hurdles (14.65) & 200m (22.65)
Zach Lewis: 800m  (1:58.10)
Chris Smith: High Jump (1.65m - 6'5")
John Anderson: Javelin (47.55m - 156'0")
John Anderson, Zach Lewis, Jordan Creech, Brett Jones: 4x400m (3:31.14)
Zach Lewis, Brett Jones, Philiph Tonui, Edward Gregg: 4x800m (8:10.29)

Trojans Compete at SIU-Edwardsville

RESULTS

A small group of HLG athletes traveled to Edwardsville, IL on Saturday to compete in the SIU-Edwardsville Twilight Open. After rain delayed the start of the meet by nearly an hour, the Trojans took to the track and came through with some great results.

Breanna Newton ran a tremendous race in the 1500m, placing 2nd in a school record time of 4:46.17, a 5 second improvement over the previous record the she already owned. Breanna returned later in the meet to place 7th in the 800m with a time of 2:27.27. Sarah Wilson established a new school record in the 400m dash, finishing in 9th place in a time of 1:00.75. Mandi Riddle (1:09.50) placed second in the 400m Hurdles with teammate Holland McCoy (1:11.45) finishing right behind her in third place. In the pole vault, Cailey Wilkinson and Cara Grinde tied for the top spot, with both clearing the bar at 3.12m. Jocelyn Bright battled slick conditions to place 4th in the javelin (27.52m).

On the men's side, Zach Lewis set a new school record in the 800m, completing the race in 1:59.65. Edward Gregg set a new personal best in the 1500m run, finishing the race in a time of 4:23.75. John Anderson raced to a 4th place finish in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 57.13 while teammate Jordan Creech placed 7th (1:00.58). Anderson added to his day with a 3rd place showing in the javelin. His toss of 47.39 matched his personal best and school record performance. Easton Padden placed 4th in the pole vault (4.27m) while Brett Jones finished 6th in a personal best vault of 3.96m. Bernardo Massuchin was only able to take one attempt in the long jump due to sustaining an injury. However, that first leap of 6.12m was good enough to place 5th in the event.

The team will now prepare for the upcoming American Midwest Conference outdoor track & field championships. The throwing events will take place in Thursday, April 28 at William Woods University in Fulton, MO while the remainder of the meet will take place April 29-30 on the campus of McKendree University in Lebanon, IL. The pole vault will kick off the competition on Friday at 3pm, while Saturday's events will begin with the 5,000m Racewalk at 9:30am.

Women Capture Team Title at IC Mid-Week Invite

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team mixed things up a bit this past week as they traveled to Jacksonville, IL for a midweek meet at Illinois College this past Wednesday. The Trojans were met with chilly (but rain free) conditions but that did not prevent the team from performing very well, highlighted by the women's team taking home top honors over the likes of McKendree, Principia, Maryville, and the host school. The injury battered men's squad performed well too, placing third in the team standings.

THE WOMEN
The Lady Trojans were solid in all aspects of the competition, taking home a total of 8 event titles. Jasman Edmond took home the 100m dash crown (12.99) with teammate Sarah Wilson placing third in her debut in the event. Wilson followed that performance with a victory in the 200m dash (27.14) while Breanna Newton placed 3rd in a time of 28.24. Christina Carter set a new personal best in the 800m race and came through victorious with her time of 2:36.71. In the 5,000m, Nicole Griesbaum finished in second place and shattered the school record with her time of 19.33.75. Sarah Erickson placed 4th (20:38) with teammate Amber Zinkula finishing 5th (21:25).

In the field events, Brittni Klundt and Holland McCoy tied for first place in the high jump (1.50m), while pole vaulters Cara Grinde, Holland McCoy, and Cailey Wilkinson completed a 1-2-3 sweep in the pole vault. Molley Patrick took home a gold in the discus with her toss of 32.32m. Jocelyn Bright also took home top prize, with her gold coming in the javelin (29.90m). For the third meet in a row, Abbie Herrold set a new school record in the hammer throw (33.92m), while adding a 3rd place finish in the discus and 4th place showing in the shot put. Alera Gill-Binder set a new personal best in the shot put (10.05m) and finished 3rd in the event.

THE MEN
Most of the men's team competed in events outside of what they normally do, but the group still saw some good results. John Anderson took home top honors in the 400m Hurdles, finishing the grueling race in 58.21.
Philiph Tonui took a break from his marathon training to place third in the 800m with a time of 2:02.18. Jason Cline set a new personal best in the 5K, winning the silver with his time of 17:15.75.

In the field events, Bernardo Massuchin placed 2nd in the triple jump (12.73m) following a 5th place showing in the long jump (6.38m). Mike Clemons finished right behind Massuchin in both events, placing 3rd in the triple jump (12.69m), and setting a new personal best in the long jump with his 6th place leap of 6.19m. Easton Padden placed 2nd in the pole vault (4.57m), falling only to assistant coach Jason Scott who cleared 4.87m. Branden Ramos placed 3rd in the javelin, taking home the bronze with his toss of 40.11m. Chris Smith placed 4th in the high jump, clearing the bar at 1.87m.