May 12, 2007

[final results]

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The Bemidji State University men’s and women’s track and field teams completed the 2007 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships today in Moorhead, Minn. Although the teams finished out of team title contention, three individuals claimed event crowns while many posted season-bests.

Junior indoor All-American thrower Sheena Devine (Harris, Minn.) extended her NCAA Division II undefeated streak to 11 meets claiming first place in the shot put. She won the event bettering her own NSIC record with a throw of 49-02.25 moving into second place on the NCAA D-II Outdoor Performance List. Sophomore Lindsey Bergeson (Trail, Minn.) also placed in the event recording her best throw of the season at 41-10.25 to take fourth.

Shelby Hougen (Jr., Bemidji, Minn.) had a record-setting day of her own, improving the BSU 400-meter hurdles record she set, and later matched this season, by posting a second-place time of 1:02.28--a mark which stands as high as the 18th-fastest time in the country this season.

After earning the 2007 NSIC Heptathlon title and placing in yesterday’s javelin and 4x800-meter relay, Nicole Friend (Sr., International Falls, Minn.) capped her outdoor career Saturday by crossing the tape in sixth place in the 800-meter run (2:23.58).

The BSU men also experienced a tremendous amount of success on day two by showing well in the throwing events.

Joe Remitz (Jr., North Branch, Minn.), a three-time All-American thrower, out distanced his nearest competitor in the shot put by nearly 18 feet while teammates Zac Preble (Fr., Coleraine, Min.) and Justin Cox (Sr., Menahga, Minn.) finished third and fourth respectively in the event. Remitz’s toss of 55-01.05 was good for first place despite falling short of his best of the 2007 outdoor season. The junior also took second place in the discus stretching the tape to 146-01. Remitz was named 2007 NSIC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year for his dominance in the throwing events.

Cox took the discus title surpassing his best throw of 2007 by two feet and climbing to as high as 17th in the country with a mark of 163-10.

In addition to finishing third in the shot, 2007 Decathlon Champion, Preble also finished third in the discus (140-10) and earned fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles, posting the fastest time of his career crossing the tape in 55-81. He finished the meet as the top male point-earner placing in five events and was selected by the league’s coaches as the 2007 NSIC Outdoor Newcomer of the Year. He also earned the same honor at the conclusion of the indoor season.

Also on the track, senior Todd Zeidler (Plentywood, Mont.) completed his collegiate career with a second-place finish in a tightly contested 800-meter run. He shaved nearly two seconds off of his fastest time of the season posting a 1:54.71 as just 0.4 of a second separated first place and third place in the event.

The Bemidji State women finished the meet in fifth place with a total of 55 points while the University of Mary ran away with the title posting 210 points. The men were just 33 points off of defending champion Wayne State College’s pace of 166 and finished just a single point behind Northern State University (134) in third place with 133.

In all, the Beavers wrapped up the championships with six individual champions while 12 student-athletes earned All-NSIC honors.

While the meet marks the end of the 2007 outdoor season for the bulk of the BSU roster, there are five members of the the teams that await the possible continuation of the season after posting provisionally qualifying times, heights or distances this spring. Devine, Hougen, Remitz, Preble and Cox have all meet the required minimums to be eligible for the national meet and will find out early next week whether they will be invited to compete at the NCAA Division II Championships May 22-24 in Charlotte, N.C.

Women - Team Rankings - 22 Events Scored
1. University of Mary - 210
2. MSU Moorhead - 163
3. Winona State - 115
4. Wayne State - 93
5. Bemidji State - 55
6. Northern State - 30
7. Concordia-St. Paul - 16

Men - Team Rankings - 22 Events Scored
1. Wayne State - 166
2. Northern State - 134
3. Bemidji State - 133
4. Concordia-St. Paul - 90
5. MSU Moorhead - 83
6. University of Mary - 76

2007 NSIC Outdoor Individual Award Winners
Men's Coach of the Year: Marlon Brink, WSC
Women's Coach of the Year: Mike Thorson, UM
Men's Track Athlete of the Year: Jake Hamik, NSU
Women's Track Athlete of the Year: Cassie Blazer, UM
Men's Field Athlete of the Year: Joe Remitz, BSU
Women's Field Athlete of the Year: Jennifer Hensel, MSUM
Men's Newcomer of the Year: Zac Preble, BSU
Women's Newcomer of the Year: Megan Zacorke, WSC

--bsu--