The NCAA News - News and Features

August 31, 1998

Champions head all-academic track and field teams

Five of the top 10 Division II women's teams and three of the top 10 Division III women's teams at the 1998 NCAA Divisions II and III outdoor track and field championships lead the all-academic outdoor track and field teams announced by the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA).

South Dakota, fifth at the 1998 Division II women's championships, and Wisconsin-Oshkosh, third at the Division III event, are among 32 women's and 11 men's teams garnering honors.

Individually, 126 women and 73 men attained academic honors, including Division II women's individual-event champions Janet Eck of Fort Hays State (high jump), Becky Ball of Ashland (shot put) and Kim Schiemenz of Northern Colorado (heptathlon); Division II men's shot-put champion Jason Stuke of Emporia State; and Division III women's champions Maria Meginin of Hartwick (high jump), Patti Franckowiak of Wisconsin-La Crosse (discus throw) and Colorado College's Heather O'Brien (heptathlon).

Joining South Dakota among the Division II women's honorees are North Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha, which finished eighth and ninth at the championships, respectively. Emporia State and Fort Hays State, which tied for 10th, also were honored.

In Division III, Wisconsin-Oshkosh was joined by Wisconsin-La Crosse and Concordia-Moorhead, which placed fourth and 10th, respectively, at the 1998 championships.

North Dakota's men's team (3.270) and Wayne State's (Nebraska) women's team (3.460) posted the highest grade-point average (GPA) among Division II honorees, while Carnegie Mellon (3.380) and Emory (3.470) registered the top GPA among Division III men's and women's teams, respectively.

Missouri's women's team (3.266) was the only Division I team to be honored.

Following are the 1998 USTCA men's and women's outdoor track and field all-academic teams:

Division I women's teams

Missouri, 3.266.

Division I women's individuals
Louisiana Tech--Olivia McKoy; April Malveo.

Division II men's teams

1. North Dak., 3.270; 2. Seattle Pacific, 3.240; 3. Mo.-Rolla, 3.230; 4. (tie) Mass.-Lowell and Wayne St. (Neb.), 3.030; 6. Edinboro, 3.020; 7. Northern Colo., 3.000.

Division II men's individuals

Abilene Christian--Oscar Meneses; Jason Prann; Ashland--Jason Frazier; Jeff Heddles; Ryan Knight; Steve Miller; Trent Neely; Bemidji St.--Dan Pemble; UC Davis-- Nate Bowen; Tony Moore; Breandan Sullivan.

Chadron St.--Jamie Knapke; Dan Wagner; East Stroudsburg--Rob Stone; Emporia St.--Mike Giardine; Brad Jantz; Bill LeMaster; Brandon Masters; Luke Pickett; Brent Smitheran; Jason Stuke; Fort Hays St.--Zack Kindler; Jason McCullough; Robert Spies.

Hillsdale--Jon Cook; Kurt Knueve; Kutztown---Jeremy Culver; Brian Harris; Jason Hilt; Mankato St.--Joe Alexander; Jon Keillor; Marty Rosendahl; Mo.-Rolla--Benjamin Mulvaney; Neb.-Kearney--Joel Janecek.

North Dak.-- Martin Blekkerud; Richard Clay; Chad Heltemes; Jim Mallory; Mark Murdock; Ryan Reynolds; Marc Sondreal; Jeremy Zimney; Northern Colo.-- Mike Allen; Brent Miller.

Saginaw Valley--Mike Barker; Slippery Rock--Tom Wise; South Dak.--Steve Craig; Mike Gade; Tom Green; Matt Hoyt; Nathan Smith; South Dak. St.--Justin Elder; Jason Gengerke; Wayne St. (Neb.)--James McGown.

Division II women's teams

1. Wayne St. (Neb.), 3.460; 2. North Dak., 3.450; 3. Fort Hays St., 3.390; 4. Northern Colo., 3.370; 5. Mo.-Rolla, 3.350; 6. Seattle Pacific, 3.330; 7. Augustana (S.D.), 3.310; 8. Northern St., 3.300; 9. Northwest Mo. St., 3.280; 10. Bentley, 3.240.

11. (tie) Truman St., Saginaw Valley and Emporia St., 3.210; 14. North Dak. St., 3.170; 15. (tie) Ashland, Mo. Southern St. and Neb.-Omaha, 3.160; 18. Mankato St., 3.150; 19. Mass.-Lowell, 3.140; 20. South Dak., 3.120. 21. Edinboro, 3.110.

Division II women's individuals

Abilene Christian--Selena Bettis; Ranessa Crawford; Tracy Gust; Josie Martinez; Renna Toniste; Ashland--Becky Ball; Shannon Burtand; Augustana (S.D.)--Joey Gleason; Andrea Harens; Stacy Johnson; Kasey Krall; Sarah Mismash; Deborah Volkers.

Edinboro--Amy Perry; Emporia St.--Emily Bloss; Kristin Brune; Gillian Curtiss-Masters; Deandra Doubrava; Amber Frese; Nikki Runnebaum; Fort Hays St.--Sarah Brown; Janet Eck; Kristen Johnson.

Hillsdale--Amy Weaver; Kutztown--Amanda Schaeffer; Mankato St.--Heather Reider; Nicole Sickels; Mo. Southern St.--Amanda Harrison; Heather Hoyle; Lakisha Williamson; Neb.-Kearney--Triniti Halley; Melanie Kroeger; Arla Ridenour-Kuanvig.

Neb.-Omaha--Tara Biltoft; Cathy Craig; Kamie Eakes; Kelly Koziol; North Dak.--Melissa Berg; Becky Leppard; April Maine; Cindy Scott; North Dak. St.--Amber Buller; Andrea Jeseritz; Codi Lehr; Rhonda Sheffield; Jill Theeler.

Northern Colo.--Audrey Cobain; Kim Schiemenz; Adrianne Sikora; Karen Smidt; Northern St.--Tricia Bain; Tracy Gassman; Lindsay Knock; Jennifer Murphy; Nadya Wiedrich; Northwest Mo. St.--Amy Allen; Lindsey Borgstadt; Misty Campbell; Leslie Dickherber; Diana Hughes; Julie Humphreys.

Seattle Pacific--Alicia Lyon; Julie Swann; Shippensburg--Emily Budnyk; Dana Harrington; Slippery Rock--Nicole Frey; Lori Robison-Nuzzo; Kelly Weiss; Sonoma St.--Melissa Costa; South Dak.--Sara Deckert; Amber Dolmen; Tina Fenske; Stefanie Senn; Corissa Uerbeski.

South Dak. St.--Stacy Main; Nancy Overman; Lisa Peters; Londa Vander Wal; Southern Conn. St.--Diana Oparowski; Truman St.--Gretchen Bruemmer; Sarah McLean; Molly Pledge.

Division III men's teams

1. Carnegie Mellon, 3.380; 2. Emory, 3.180; 3. Beloit, 3.130; 4. Hope, 3.113.

Division III men's individuals

Bates--Aron Shapiro; Concordia-M'head--Micah Benson; Heidelberg--Andy Braden; Todd Gerwig; John Gilbert; Adam Koppin; Dustin Lamvermeyer; Ohio Wesleyan--David Spring; Rose-Hulman--Ryan Loftus; Philip Reksel; Ryon Sumner; Brian Wickman.

Wis.-La Crosse--Erick Lehet; Chad Jaeger; Chris Krolick; Mike Seifert; Wis.-Stevens Point--Benjamin Douglas; Shawn Hau; Brent Witt.

Division III women's teams

1. Emory, 3.470; 2. Rochester, 3.380; 3. Concordia-M'head, 3.347; 4. Ithaca, 3.330; 5. (tie) Augustana (Ill.) and Bates, 3.270; 7. Hope, 3.254; 8. Hartwick, 3.240; 9. Wis.-La Crosse, 3.210; 10. Wis.-Oshkosh, 3.130.

Division III women's individuals

Augustana (Ill.)--Kim Baier; Kristine Boesen; Amy Knapp; Chrissy Hammer; Maegan Harris; Susan Paige; Amy Tirmenstein; Jay Walsh; Kristy Windy; Allison Wolak.

Carnegine Mellon--Maureen McGranaghan; Margaret Powers; Colorado Col.--Megan Klish; Heather O'Brien; Concordia-M'head--Sarah Grineski; Becky Kearns; Sarah Severson; Laura Utke; Emory--Vista Beasley; Jamie Hagerbaumer; Franzisak Janes; Kahlilah Jennings.

Hartwick--Maria Meginin; Hope--Emily Sowers; Ellen Schultz; Ithaca--Lauren Byler; Lisa Good; Heidi Nichols; Ohio Wesleyan--Alison Albrecht; Rowan--Lisa Marrero; Wash. & Jeff.--Jaimee Heffner.

Wis.-La Crosse--Katie Arnes; Patti Franckowiak; Carrie Lind; Katie O'Leary; Jenni Rider; Lace VanZeeland; Wis.-Oshkosh--Mary Banker; Tiffany Ebensperger; Jennifer McConkey; Laura Nelson; Wis.-Stevens Point--Christina Bergman.