April 15, 2004

FARGO, N.D. - Bemidji State’s outdoor track and field team earned wins in five individual events and one relay at the NDSU Open on Tuesday night. Freshman Nicole Friend (International Falls, Minn.) battled gusty winds, but still managed to sprint to victories in both the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash. Competing in just her second meet as a Beaver, the victories are the first of Friend’s career.

The women’s 4x100-meter relay team, consisting of junior Carla Perry (Lino Lakes, Minn.), freshmen Shauna McInerney (Rainy River, Ontario) and Lindsey Gregg (Bemidji, Minn.) and senior Caesare Stimson (Chisago Lakes, Minn.), edged Minnesota State-Mankato by less than half a second to post its second consecutive win. The team also won the event at the Hamline Invite with the identical time of 50.48 seconds.

The men’s and women’s high jump titles were both claimed by Beavers. Stimson cleared the bar at 5-4, two inches below provisional qualification for the NCAA championships. Junior Steve Schreiber (Forest Lake, Minn.), beaten during the indoor season by North Dakota State’s Ryan Lesnau, avenged his loss with a victory at 6-8. Like Stimson, Schreiber was just two inches away from provisional qualification.

Sophomore Adam Wilson (Forest Lake, Minn.) and senior Mitch Cooper (Davenport, Iowa) were the final two event winners on the day. Wilson threw 49-8 1/2 in the shot put, while Cooper won the long jump with a leap of 21-6 1/4.

“We knew the wind was going to be bad, so we tried to concentrate on our field athletes, and they didn’t disappoint,” head coach Craig Hougen said. “It was a great day for the half of the team that we took.”

The next events for the Beavers are on Saturday, with the team competing in both the Manitou Classic and the Carleton Relays in Northfield, Minn.