Feb. 18, 2007

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The Bemidji State University men's and women's track teams were back in action last weekend as they traveled to the St. John's Invitational for one final tune up before the 2007 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Championships. In addition to the steady results the BSU field competitors have turned in all season, the sprinters also stood out in Collegeville, Minn. Saturday.

The Beavers made a clean sweep of the throwing events as Sheena Devine (Jr., Harris, Minn .) captured first place in both the women's weight throw (50-8 1/4) and the shot put (47-3 1/2) to stay undefeated this season in the shot. On the men's side of things Joe Remitz (Jr., North Branch, Minn.) and Justin Cox (Sr., Menahga, Minn.) took first and second respectively in the weight throw and the shot put while Jon Clemons (Jr., Princeton, Minn.) cleared 6-2 to earn the top spot in the high jump by two inches and Mychael Aker (Jr., Perham, Minn.) garnered second place in the long jump (21-0) and marked the third longest triple jump of the NSIC season with a distance of 42-6 3/4--good for third place at the meet.

On the track the BSU women broke the tape first in four running events highlighted by a 1,600-meter relay team made up of M'Kelle Tomberlin (Jr., Cohasset, Minn.), Brianne Woinarowicz (Jr., Stephen, Minn.), Nicole Friend (Sr., International, Falls, Minn.) and Shelby Hougen (Jr., Bemidji, Minn.) clocking a time of 4:07.46--good for third on the NSIC performance list.

In addition, Tomberlin gained first place in the 55-meter dash (7.78), finished third in the 200 meters and fourth in the long jump (16-1). Friend clocked a time of 60.67 in the 400-meter dash to claim top prize and Hougen moved to third in the conference posting a first place finish in the 600-meter dash at 1:40.11.

Kyle Nooker (Green Bay, Wis.) paced the men's tracksters clocking a time of 23.44 to take top honor in the 200-meter dash. Nooker also started a 1,600-meter relay team that placed first at the meet with a time of 3:29.18. The time was two seconds better than the squad's previous best of 2007 and moved BSU up one spot to fourth on the performance list. In addition to Nooker, James Winsor (Sr., Hopkins, Minn.), Zac Preble (Fr., Coleraine, Minn.) and Todd Zeidler (Sr., Plentywood, Mont.) participated in the event.

The Bemidji State track and field teams will be back in action this weekend (Feb. 23-24) as they host the 2007 NSIC Indoor Championship meet at the Gillett Recreation/Fitness Center.

--bsu--