University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Advances 14 to Finals at MVC Championships
2/25/2017 9:48:00 PM | Track and Field
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa hosted a successful first day of the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, sending 14 student-athletes to tomorrow's finals.
The Panthers started the day in the multi-events, with Lauren Frederick scoring team points in the pentathlon. She finished in fourth place overall, her highest finish at a conference meet, with a point total of 3,698.
She opened the day finishing fourth in the hurdles with a time of 8.80, followed by a jump of 5-1.75 in the high jump. In the shot put, she went 32-9.00 and then followed it up with a huge personal-best in the long jump of 18-00.50. The senior rounded out the day with a first place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.48
On the men's side, Alex Duff, Cade Kirkpatrick and Austin Heitland took on the heptathlon, rounding out four events, all sitting in scoring position heading into the second day of the event. The trio hit multiple personal-bests throughout the day, including a career-best in the long jump from Duff of 23-2.00.
Moving into the throwing events, throws coach Dan O'Mara's crew finished with three all-conference performers and seven point scorers between the men's and women's programs. Sarah Pate (61-6.25) and Brad Walski finished second in the women's and men's weight throw (64-8.50) while Isaac Holtz also earned All-MVC honors with his third place finish with a mark of 60-1.25.
Getting started on the track was the men's hurdles, with the Panthers qualifying both Jon Rus and Daurice Fountain to the finals tomorrow at 1:55 p.m. Rus ran the fastest preliminary time today of 7.78 for a new career-best and to rank him No. 2 all-time at UNI while Fountain ran a season-best time of 8.08.
In the men's 60 meters, Brandon Carnes once again ran the quickest preliminary time of the meet, coming in with a time of 6.64. True freshman Elijah Hicks will join him in the finals tomorrow at 2:55 p.m. after finishing the prelims with a PR time of 6.92. Carnes will also be in tomorrow's 200 meter finals (3:35 p.m.) with a preliminary time of 21.52.
Maddie Bell qualified for the finals in the women's 400 meters after winning her heat with a time of 56.09 with Corey Hertz and Evan Long qualifying on the men's side. Hertz ran the fifth fastest preliminary time in 48.95 while Long posted a time of 49.30.
The Panthers then headed into the middle-distance races of the meet, qualifying six athletes between the men's and women's teams in the 800 meter run. Lyndsie Schinkel (2:14.14) and Lindsey Kite (2:16.98) recorded the two fastest prelim times today with Theresa Connelly also qualifying for tomorrow's final at 3:05 p.m. with a time of 2:17.03.
For the men, Colynn Black turned in the fourth fastest time today in 1:53.63. Luke Johnston and Jordan Pingel will join Black in tomorrow's final race after running times of 1:54.60 and 1:53.73, respectively.
Distance standout Hannah Truniger continued to shine for the Panthers down the stretch, scoring team points at her first-ever MVC Indoor Championships. She finished the 5,000 meter run in sixth place overall with a time of 17:23.55.
Rounding out the meet, the women's distance medley relay team brought home the first title for the Panthers. The team of Tiffany Christensen, Maddie Irmen, Lindsey Kite and Ashley Norem won the event in 11:54.95. The men's team also earned all-conference in the DMR, with Andrew Arndt, Bryce Newcomb, Bo Hjelle and CJ May finishing third overall with a time of 10:05.26.
UNI returns to action tomorrow for the second day of competition. Multis begin at 9:30 a.m., with field events getting started at 11 a.m. Action on the track will start at 1:25 p.m.
Players Mentioned
