Wheaton (Massachusetts) responded to a strong challenge from Lehman to win its fifth consecutive Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships team title March 14-15 at DePauw.

The Lyons led Lehman, 44-40, entering the meet's final event, the 1,600-meter relay. Wheaton's team of Vernick Smith, Aquilla Williams-Judge, Jana Bromell and Amber James, exploded to a six-second victory and knocked more than 3.7 seconds off the previous meet record.

Lehman, which had no previous top-five team finishes in the 19-year history of the championships, placed second in the relay and compiled 48 points to Wheaton's 54. Williams wound up third with 42 points, one ahead of fourth-place Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

The Lyons' success is particularly noteworthy since the program reached varsity status only nine seasons ago. "When we started this program, my dream was to win a national championship," said Wheaton head coach Paul Souza. "To win five in a row is just beyond my wildest dreams. I am so impressed with our scholar-athletes. They just continue to find ways to win."

Souza, who also has directed Wheaton to the Division III outdoor championship in both 2001 and 2002, had to be especially impressed with Williams-Judge, the meet's only double winner. Williams-Judge edged Lehman's Paulette Baldwin in both the 55-meter high hurdles, an event Baldwin won in 2002, and the long jump.

James earned her third straight victory in the 400-meter dash, and Smith placed second.

In addition to Baldwin's pair of second-place finishes, Alecia Watson came in second in the triple jump and third in the 55-meter dash for Lehman.

Healy Thompson won the shot put for the third time for Williams and added more than two feet to the meet record. She also was the runner-up in the 20-pound weight throw.

Liz Woodworth repeated as the 800-meter run champion for Wisconsin-Oshkosh, which also received a first-place performance in the weight throw from Deena Heins.

Wartburg's Missy Buttry also successfully defended her individual title in the 1,500-meter run, and set a meet record in the process. She also teamed with Jannae Holubar, Deanna Olson and Abby Tiernan to establish a new low in the distance medley relay.

Heins, Geneseo State's Melissa White (5,000-meter run) and Richard Stockton's Kim Marino (pole vault) also set meet records.

TEAM RESULTS

1. Wheaton (Mass.), 54; 2. Lehman, 48; 3. Williams, 42; 4. Wis.-Oshkosh, 41; 5. Wis.-La Crosse, 24; 6. Wartburg, 22; 7. Geneseo St., 20; 8. (tie) Chris. Newport and Colby, 18; 10. Carthage, 17; 11. Ithaca, 12 1/2; 12. Principia, 12; 13. (tie) Bates, Ill. Wesleyan and St. Thomas (Minn.), 11; 16. (tie) Brandeis, Richard Stockton and Wesleyan (Conn.), 10; 19. Keene St., 9; 20. (tie) Franklin, St. Olaf and Wis.-Stevens Point, 8; 23. Wis.-Stout, 7; 24. (tie) Greenville, Neb. Wesleyan, Ramapo, Washington (Mo.) and York (N.Y.), 6; 29. (tie) John Carroll and New York U., 5 1/2; 31. (tie) Amherst, Loras, Moravian and St. Lawrence, 5; 35. Monmouth (Ill.), 4 1/2; 36. (tie) Anderson (Ind.), Elmhurst, Fisk, Montclair St., Col. of New Jersey, New Jersey City and Ohio Northern, 4; 43. (tie) Augsburg, Hartwick, Millikin and Otterbein, 3; 47. (tie) Rhodes, Wilmington (Ohio) and WPI, 2; 50. (tie) Bowdoin, Rensselaer and Wis.-Eau Claire, 1.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

55-meter dash: 1. Jenna Flateman, Wesleyan (Conn.), 7.03; 2. Happy Darcus, Chris. Newport, 7.12; 3. Alecia Watson, Lehman, 7.13; 4. Muffy Israel, Carthage, 7.13; 5. Diana Lawson, New Jersey City, 7.14; 6. Tonnisha Bell, Augsburg, 7.16; 7. Aquilla Williams-Judge, Wheaton (Mass.), 7.27; 8. Amber James, Wheaton (Mass.), 7.29.

400-meter dash: 1. Amber James, Wheaton (Mass.), 55.47; 2. Vernick Smith, Wheaton (Mass.), 56.24; 3. Michelle Barnwell, Lehman, 56.52; 4. Gena Rawlins, Ill. Wesleyan, 56.94; 5. Tierra Hicks, Montclair St., 57.33; 6. Sheri Kelleher, Hartwick, 57.36; 7. Latrice Powell, Carthage, 57.94; 8. Brittny Boyd, Col. of New Jersey, 58.37.

800-meter run: 1. Liz Woodworth, Wis.-Oshkosh, 2:11.59; 2. Megan Daymont, St. Olaf, 2:11.81; 3. Ronna Killins, Ramapo, 2:15.04; 4. Teresa Smock, St. Thomas (Minn.), 2:15.63; 5. Kenya Benjamin, York (N.Y.), 2:15.97; 6. Lynn Janovich, Ithaca, 2:16.35; 7. Colleen Doody, Williams, 2:17.24; 8. Kim Allen, Otterbein, 2:19.56.

1,500-meter run: 1. Missy Buttry, Wartburg, 4:24.95 (meet record: old record 4:28.83, Josefa Benzoni, Rochester, 1988); 2. Robyn Burns, Franklin, 4:33.04; 3. Jenn Campbell, Williams, 4:35.78; 4. Megan Craig, Wis.-Stevens Point, 4:35.93; 5. Lisa Nicholson, Anderson (Ind.), 4:36.08; 6. Kelley Puglisi, Bates, 4:36.18; 7. Amy Paine, Rhodes, 4:36.47; 8. Amanda Laytham, Ithaca, 4:36.56.

5,000-meter run: 1. Melissa White, Geneseo St., 16:39.16 (meet record: old record 16:41.49, Rhaina Echols, Chicago, 2000); 2. Stephanie Hood, Principia, 16:50.47; 3. Caroline Cretti, Williams, 16:55.08; 4. Mary Proulx, Keene St., 16:58.63; 5. Mariko Tansey Holbrook, Brandeis, 17:08.84; 6. Carter Hamill, Amherst, 17:09.14; 7. Beth Van Alstine, New York U., 17:20.47; 8. Julia Bensen, Williams, 17:22.17.

55-meter high hurdles: 1. Aquilla Williams-Judge, Wheaton (Mass.), 7.99; 2. Paulette Baldwin, Lehman, 8.06; 3. Sheana Grigsby, Carthage, 8.24; 4. Rachel Hutchins, Loras, 8.34; 5. Jackie Dight, Ohio Northern, 8.40; 6. Noreen Kordzeil, Wheaton (Mass.), 8.43; 7. Markita May, Otterbein, 8.53; 8. Breanna McMullen, Wis.-Eau Claire, 8.57.

1,600-meter relay: 1. Wheaton (Mass.) (Vernick Smith, Aquilla Williams-Judge, Jana Bromell, Amber James), 3:45.01 [meet record: old record 3:48.78, Wheaton (Mass.) (Niara Woods, Tessa Donoghue, James, April Butler), 2002]; 2. Lehman, 3:51.04; 3. Ill. Wesleyan, 3:51.48; 4. Neb. Wesleyan, 3:51.80; 5. Carthage, 3:54.26; 6. Col. of New Jersey, 3:55.51; 7. York (N.Y.), 3:55.74; 8. Wartburg, 3:58.31.

Distance medley relay: 1. Wartburg (Jannae Holubar, Deanna Olson, Abby Tiernan, Missy Buttry), 11:41.66 [meet record: old record 11:46.19, Wis.-Oshkosh (Jackie Munoz, Jessy Marx, Jill Hardtke, Liz Woodworth), 2002]; 2. Wis.-Oshkosh, 11:47.72; 3. Brandeis, 11:53.52; 4. Williams, 11:54.14; 5. Keene St., 11:55.32; 6. Ithaca, 11:57.35; 7. Amherst, 11:58.68; 8. Bowdoin, 12:03.65.

High jump: 1. Kim Deprez, Geneseo St., 1.76 (5-9 1/4); 2. Karima Ummah, Colby, 1.71 (5-7 1/4); 3. (tie) Meghan Morningstar, Ithaca, and Beth Grzybowski, John Carroll, 1.66 (5-5 1/4); 5. (tie) Melissa Jones, Monmouth (Ill.), and Lauren Henkel, New York U., 1.66 (5-5 1/4); 7. Emily Herring, Wilmington (Ohio), 1.66 (5-5 1/4); 8. Kristin Moss, Williams, 1.66 (5-5 1/4).

Pole vault: 1. Kim Marino, Richard Stockton, 3.93 (12-10 3/4) [meet record: old record 3.77 (12-4 1/2), Kelly Bowen, Neb. Wesleyan, and Laura Rosenberger, East. Mennonite, 2002]; 2. Angela Hilgers, Wis.-La Crosse, 3.78 (12-4 3/4); 3. Karolien Bastiaens, St. Thomas (Minn.), 3.78 (12-4 3/4); 4. Bethany Renner, Wis.-La Crosse, 3.48 (11-5); 5. Amy Peters, Elmhurst, 3.48 (11-5); 6. Meredith Jones, Williams, 3.48 (11-5); 7. Lindsay Doedens, Wis.-La Crosse, 3.48 (11-5); 8. Allison Benson, Rensselaer, 3.33 (10-11).

Long jump: 1. Aquilla Williams-Judge, Wheaton (Mass.), 5.84 (19-2); 2. Paulette Baldwin, Lehman, 5.73 (18-9 3/4); 3. Kammie Holt, Washington (Mo.), 5.73 (18-9 3/4); 4. Kate DePuy, St. Lawrence, 5.67 (18-7 1/4); 5. Martinia Heath, Lehman, 5.62 (18-5 1/4); 6. Tricia Clark, Wis.-La Crosse, 5.60 (18-4 1/2); 7. Laura Verdegan, Wis.-Stout, 5.50 (18-0 1/2); 8. Erin Powell, Neb. Wesleyan, 5.44 (17-10 1/4).

Triple jump: 1. LaNeatra Johnson, Chris. Newport, 12.37 (40-7); 2. Alecia Watson, Lehman, 12.36 (40-6 3/4); 3. Karima Ummah, Colby, 12.15 (39-10 1/2); 4. Laura Verdegan, Wis.-Stout, 12.04 (39-6); 5. Lydia Mootry, Fisk, 11.80 (38-8 3/4); 6. Angie Hawk, Millikin, 11.61 (38-1 1/4); 7. Tricia Clark, Wis.-La Crosse, 11.57 (37-11 1/2); 8. Kara Kuhrts, Monmouth (Ill.), 11.56 (37-11 1/4).

Shot put: 1. Healy Thompson, Williams, 15.51 (50-10 3/4) [meet record: old record 14.77 (48-5 1/2), Sara Nauman, Loras, 2001]; 2. Elizabeth Wanless, Bates, 15.24 (50-0); 3. Deena Heins, Wis.-Oshkosh, 14.67 (48-1 3/4); 4. Christina Scherwin, Moravian, 14.45 (47-5); 5. Colleen Beal, Colby, 14.09 (46-2 3/4); 6. Amanda Nechuta, Wis.-Stevens Point, 13.86 (45-5 3/4); 7. Kerri Coleman, WPI, 13.61 (44-8); 8. Kristin Raether, Wis.-La Crosse, 13.57 (44-6 1/4).

20-pound weight throw: 1. Deena Heins, Wis.-Oshkosh, 18.37 (60-3 1/4) [meet record: old record 17.88 (58-8), Jessica Kohlman, Wis.-Whitewater, 2001]; 2. Healy Thompson, Williams, 17.81 (58-5 1/4); 3. Andrea Shultz, Greenville, 16.87 (55-41/44); 4. Robyn Jarocki, Wis.-Oshkosh, 16.87 (55-4 1/4); 5. Kristina Muller, Principia, 15.97 (52-1/4); 6. Kristin Raether, Wis.-La Crosse, 15.94 (52-31/44); 7. Penny Godleske, Wis.-Oshkosh, 15.72 (51-7); 8. Megan Pagel, Wartburg, 15.54 (51-0).