Release courtesy of the Minnesota State University-Mankato Media Relations Department

Mankato, Minn. --- The Grand Valley State (Mich.) Lakers ran away with the women’s team title accumulating 94 points thanks to victories in the pole vault, mile, distance medley relay, shot put, weight throw and 5,000 meter run as the 2012 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Minnesota State University came to a close Saturday.

Click here for final men's team standings

Click here for final women's team standings

The men’s side saw Grand Canyon (Ariz.) – a track and field program in just its second year – earn the team title as it totaled 54 points. Adams State was second with 47 points.

Central Missouri’s Lindsay Lettow, New Mexico Highland’s Jillisa Grant and Hillsdale’s Amanda Putt were all tied for the meet’s top scorer with 20 points on the women’s side.  Adams State’s Andrew Graham earned the top-scorer for the men with 18 points.

The men’s heptathlon was won by Nick Lebron of Southern Connecticut State with a total of 5,225 points.  Central Missouri’s Shawn Boss (Central Missouri) was second with 5,110 points and Connor Coleman (Southern Connecticut State) was third with 5,087 points.  The heptathlon was extremely close as just 118 points separated the second place finisher and the 11^th place finisher.

The women’s pentathlon also featured a pair of teammates at the top as Central Missouri’s Lindsay Lettow defended her crown with a point total of 4,193, besting her teammate Erin Alewine who was second with 4,134 points, just 58 points behind.  Angelo State’s Chrystal Ruiz was third with 4,008 points.  Lettow’s point total bested her previous meet record of 4,064 points sent in 2011.

In the men’s shot put, Abilene Christian’s Nick Jones won with a toss of 18.02 meters, besting the 17.97 meters thrown by Findlay’s Derrick Vicars.  The third-place toss went to John Pemberton of Tiffin who threw 15.57 meters.

The women’s high jump was won by Jessica Szabo who cleared 6’1 ¼” to earn the victory.  Her jump was the third best championship jump in meet history.  Lettow – the champion in the pentathlon – finished second based on criteria and was followed by Northern Michigan’s Bailey Franklin, each of which cleared 5’8 3/4”.

Lake Superior State’s Jason Brenton won the triple jump with a leap of 15.39 meters while Grand Canyon had a pair of finishers finish second and third.  Kevin Lashley leapt 15.13 meters for second while Ramon Cooper was third in 15.07 meters.

The women’s triple jump was won by Abilene Christian’s Amanda Ouedrago who leaped 12.84 meters to earn the crown, out-jumping Western Oregon’s Ashley Potter (12.40 meters) and San Francisco State’s Keenya McDaniel (12.24 meters).

The women’s shot put was won by Grand Valley State’s Lauren Buresh who won the event with a toss of 16.11 meters on the final throw of her indoor career. GVSU’s Sam Lockhart was second with a heave of 15.97 meters while Central Missouri’s Kayla Muyskens was third with a throw of 15.32 meters.

Shane Shockey of Findlay won the pole vault with a vault of 5.20 meters, ahead of Pittsburg State’s Colbie Snyder (5.10 meters) and Bellarmine’ Bryan Gennett (5.00).

The women’s mile was won by Hillsdale’s Amanda Putt who ran a 4:47.84.  Adams State Cassie Mitchell was second in 4:59.56 while Anna VanWechel was third in 4:51.00.  U-Mary had the fourth and fifth-place finishers in Melissa Agnew and Dakota Wolf.  Agnew finished in 4:53.46 and Wolf in 4:53.57.

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference saw four league members finish in the top four of the men’s mile as Adams State’s Andrew Graham won the race with a time of 4:10.25, just ahead of Colorado Mines’ Mack McLian who finished in 4:10.96.  Mines’ Russell Drummond was third in 4:11.40 and ASC’s Matt Daniels was fourth in 4:11.74. 

The 400-meter dash saw St. Augustine’s Nicketa Bernard win the women’s race with a time of 54.87, ahead of Lincoln’s Yanique Haye (55.47) and Tamara Keane (55.61).  On the men’s side, American International’s Dominic Smith won with a time of 47.87 while Johnson C Smith’s Akino Ming was second in 47.91 and St. Augustine’s Josh Edmonds third in 47.93.

The women’s 60-meter dash was won by Lincoln’s Latoya King who ran a 7.41, ahead of Grand Canyon’s Shavine Hodges (7.42) and Adams State’s Indira Spence (7.45).  On the men’s side, Grand Canyon’s Dominique Hubert was first in 6.65, while Lincoln’s Romel Lewis and Ravel Grey finished second and third with times of 6.67 and 6.73.

Putt claimed her second win of the day as she won the 800-meter run with a 2:09.15, ahead of Grand Valley State’s Chanelle Caldwell (2:10.26) and Bentley’s Amy Varsell (2:10.41).  The men’s 800 saw Adams State finish with the top two runs as Boris Berian bested the field with a time of 1:52.19 and Andrew Graham finished second in 1:52.55, just ahead of Southern Connecticut State’s Selasi Lumax who finished with a 1:52.61.

The women’s 60-meter hurdles were won by Raven Clay of Findlay who ran a time of 8.18, just ahead of Johnson C. Smith’s Rosemarie Carty who ran an 8.19.  Spence of Adams State earned her second All-American award of the day with a time of 8.21. 

The men’s 60-meter hurdles saw Nebraska-Kearney’s Allen Osborn earn the national championship with a time of 7.78, ahead of Johnson C. Smith’s Andrew Collins (7.83) and Emporia State’s Andrew Etheridge (7.90).

The women’s 200-meter run was won by Jillisa Grant of New Mexico Highlands who won with a time of 24.08. The victory
marked Grant’s second title of the weekend as she also claimed the women’s long jump yesterday.  Grand Canyon’s Shavine Hodges was second with a 24.14 and Spence continued to collect All-American awards as she was third with a 24.24. 

Jonathan Woodson of Texas A&M – Kingsville won the 200-meter dash on the men’s side with a 21.37 while UMass Lowell’s Evan White was second in 21.52 and Lincoln’s Romel Lewis was third with a 21.60.

Grand Valley State continued its dominance as Rachel Patterson won the 5,000 meter run with a time of 16:07.28, ahead of Western State’s Lauren Kleppin who ran a 16:10.92.  Ferris State’s Christina Muir finished third with a time of 16:25.42.

The men’s 5,000 meter run saw Central Missouri’s Laban Sialo run a 14:09.53 to claim the title, more than a second faster than American International’s Glarius Rop who turned in a 14:10.73.  Adams State’s Kevin Batt was third with a time of 14:18.57.

The women’s 4x400-relay was won by Lincoln with a time of 3:44.74 while St. Augustine’s was second in 3:45.37 and Grand Valley State was third in 3:48.46.
 
Notes:

Central Missouri’s Lindsay Lettow broke her record in the pentathlon with 4,193 points from last year when she scored 4,064 points.  Lettow’s teammate Erin Alewine would have also broken last year’s record with her second-place total of 4,134 points.
 
Western State’s Jessica Szabo attempted to set a meet record at 6’2 ¾” but fell short.  Her jump of 6’1 ¼” was the fourth best collegiate jump (all levels) this season.

Grand Canyon’s Dominique Hubert’s time of 6.65 in the 60-meter dash was the fastest NCAA Division II Indoor time this year.

Hillsdale’s Amanda Putt was a double-winner this year and her 800 time of 2:09.15 was the fastest NCAA Division II Indoor time this year.

The top three times in the 60-meter hurdles by Findlay’s Raven Clay (8.18), Rosemarie Carty (8.19) and Indira Spence (8.21) were the top-three fastest times NCAA Division II Indoor times year.

Grand Valley State’s Rachel Patterson set a new met record with her championship time of 16:07.28 in the women’s 5,000 meter run.  Her time bested Mandi Zemba’s mark – also of Grand Valley – who ran a 16:16.77 on March 10, 2007.    Lauren Kleppin, of Western State who finished second with a time of 16;10.92, also would have beat the meet record.

Lincoln’s 4x400 meter relay team was made up of Tamara Keane, Yanique Haye, Dereka Kelly and Michelle Cumberbatch.
Saint Augustine’s 4x400-meter relay team was made up of Kelly Fisher, Jason Boyd, James Quarles and Josh Edmonds

Top Scorer Breakdown (Women):  Lindsay Lettow (Central Missouri) 20 points (10-pentathlon, 8-high jump, 2-long jump), Jillisa Grant (New Mexico Highlands) 20 points (10- 200 meter dash, 10-long jump) and Amanda Putt (Hillsdale) 20 points (10-800 meter run, 10-Mile run).

Top Scorer Breakdown (Men): Andrew Graham (Adams State) 18 points (10-mile, 8-800).