Cyclone Women Tie Conference Team Score Record

02.26.2011 | Track and Field

LINCOLN, Neb. – The final events on the track once again proved to be the strongest for the Iowa State track and field teams on the final day of the 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships Saturday inside the Devaney Center, as the Cyclone women recorded 16 of the day's 24.50 points in the last two events on the track (the 3,000-meter run and the 4x400-meter relay).

The Iowa State women concluded the conference meet in sixth with 66.50 points, while the men recorded a 10th-place finish with 24 team points. Nebraska won the women's competition with 115.50 points, while Texas A&M took home the men's team title with 134 points.

"The total of 66.50 ties the highest number of points our women have ever scored at the Big 12 Indoor Championships," Iowa Stead head coach Corey Ihmels said. "That just shows we are continuing to make progress. I thought we left some points on the track, but overall I'm pleased with how we competed this weekend."

Lucy Kennedy and Betsy Saina finished second and third, respectively, in the 3,000-meter run to earn 14 points for the women's team score. Saina earned All-Big 12 honors for the second time in this year's conference championships after winning the 5,000-meter title Friday night.

The women's 4x400-meter relay team of Donnise Powell, Dana Christensen, Hannah Willms and Kianna Elahi clocked a team best time, 3:44.72, good enough for seventh-place and two team points.

Elahi was also the Big 12 runner-up in the 600-yard run for the second consecutive year. Elahi's finish earned eight points towards the women's team score. Junior Kersten Thorgaard recorded two points for the Cyclone women as she ran to a seventh-place finish in the 1,000-meter run.

After finishing eighth in the weight throw on Friday, Danielle Frere continued to add points to the Cyclones' team score by earning a fifth-place finish in the shot put, throwing a personal best 53-09.25. Frere's mark also becomes third-best on the Iowa State indoor all-time performance list, a position the junior already held. In her first Big 12 Conference, meet, freshman Willms cleared 5-08.50 to tie for fourth-place, giving the Cyclones 4.50 team points.

Hillary Bor, a three-time All-American clocked a fourth-place finish in the men's mile, while freshman Alex Dillenbeck earned his first All-Big 12 honors with an eighth-place finish. The duo earned six points for the men's squad.

After finishing seventh in the 1,000-meter run prelims Friday, Rico Loy bounced back to finish fourth, adding five points to the Iowa State men's team score.

Jamal Currica had personal best marks in the 60-meter dash and the pole vault on his way to a seventh-place finish in the heptathlon with 5,324 points, also a new personal best mark. The multi-event specialist earned two team points for the Cyclone men.

"I think the men's finish was a bit disappointing today after finishing seventh in 2010," Ihmels said. "I think we left a lot of points on the track this weekend, but now we turn our focus to the outdoor season and look to make progress there."

Iowa State track and field will return home to host the NCAA Qualifier at the Lied Recreation Center March 5.

Team Results
Men: 1) Texas A&M, 134; 2) Oklahoma, 106; 3) Nebraska, 99.50; 4) Texas, 95; 5) Texas Tech, 57.50; 6) Baylor, 53; 7) Oklahoma State, 47; 8) Kansas State, 42.50; 9) Missouri, 40; 10) IOWA STATE, 24; 11) Kansas, 23.50; 12) Colorado, 17.
Women: 1) Nebraska, 115.50; 2) Texas A&M, 101; 3) Texas, 96.50; 4) Texas Tech, 90; 5) Oklahoma, 76.50; 6) IOWA STATE, 66.50; 7) Baylor, 42; 8) Kansas, 40; 9) Kansas State, 35; 10) Oklahoma State, 30; 11) Colorado, 29; 12) Missouri, 19

Iowa State Results
Men:
1,000-meter run: 1) Patrick McGregor, Texas, 2:24.67; 4) Rico Loy, IOWA STATE, 2:25.29
Mile Run: 1) German Fernandez, Oklahoma State, 4:06.22; 4) Hillary Bor, IOWA STATE, 4:08.95; 8) Alex Dillenbeck, IOWA STATE, 4:13.22.
3,000-meter run: 1) Thomas Farrell, Oklahoma State, 8:00.20; 19) Ben Murphy-Baum, IOWA STATE, 8:27.29; 23) Joel Limo, IOWA STATE, 8:32.12; 26) Martin Coolidge, IOWA STATE, 8:34.94; 36) Clayton Carper, IOWA STATE, 8:42.88.

High Jump: 1) Erik Kynard, Kansas State, 7-04.25; 11) Derek Alderks, IOWA STATE, 6-07.00
Heptathlon: 1) Bjorn Barrefors, Nebraska, 5,816; 7) Jamal Currica, IOWA STATE, 5,324.

Women:
600-yard run: 1) Kendra Chambers, Texas, 1:19.16; 2) Kianna Elahi, IOWA STATE, 1:20.23
1,000-meter run: 1) Marielle Hall, Texas, 2:46.40; 7) Kersten Thorgaard, IOWA STATE, 2:57.56
3,000-meter run: 1) Emma Coburn, Colorado, 9:17.46; 2) Lucy Kennedy, IOWA STATE, 9:23.21; 3) Betsy Saina, IOWA STATE, 9:23.9; 11) Dani Stack, IOWA STATE, 9:32.05; 26) India Lee, IOWA STATE, 9:45.67.
4x400-meter relay: 1) Texas A&M, 3:32.85; 7) IOWA STATE, 3:44.72

Shot Put: 1) Tia Brooks, Oklahoma, 57-01.00; 5) Danielle Frere, IOWA STATE, 53-09.25; 9) Laishema Hampton, IOWA STATE, 50-00.75
High Jump: Shanae Briscoe, Texas, 5-11.50; T4) Hannah Willms, IOWA STATE, 5-08.50; T18) Alison Tedrow, IOWA STATE, 5-04.50; T18) Karly Groon, IOWA STATE, 5-04.50