Linsie Michels posted a school record in the mile in her 2013 debut for the Cavaliers.
Cavs Hit Nine NAIA ‘A’ Qualifiers in Season Opener
COMPLETE RESULTS
SEATTLE, Wash.—In the first meet of 2013 for the Concordia track & field team, the Cavaliers registered nine NAIA Indoor National Championship automatic qualifiers while competing at the University of Washington Indoor Preview on Saturday.
“Coming back after winter break is always tough as you are limited to what you can do, but things went really well for our first competition,” CU head coach Isaac Frederick said. “Overall, it was a great lead up to our next competition as we head towards nationals.”
Competing in the mile, senior distance ace Linsie Michels was the first Cavalier to create a new school record in the new year. Michels, coming off an All-American cross country season, paced herself to a 4:53.82 to improve the CU best by more than three full seconds.
The time was nearly a 10 second indoor personal best over Michels’ 5:02.72 set in 2009 and easily eclipsed the 4:57.00 school record earned by Andria Scheese at the 2011 NAIA Indoor Championships.
“It’s been awhile since she (Michels) has been pushed like this and she met the challenge,” Frederick said.
In addition to her automatic qualifier in the mile, Michels carried the baton as part of the Concordia 1,600-meter relay team which also reached NAIA ‘A’ standard. Teaming up with Catherine Sims, Junia Limage and NyEma Sims, the Cavs crossed the line in 3:56.13 for fourth place overall behind Simon Fraser (B.C.) and a pair of teams from Stanford.
In individual events, Limage earned an NAIA automatic mark in the 600 with a 1:35.27 while Catherine Sims duplicated the feat in the 400 with an indoor personal best of 58.64. Not far behind, NyEma Sims finished the 400 in 59.56 to miss the ‘A’ standard by .06.
Competing in the 200, NyEma Sims defeated the 54-sprinter field with an ‘A’ mark of 24.53. Easily beating Washington’s Jordan Carlson (24.79) to the finish, Sims nearly chased down her own school record of 24.29 which she set on the same track during the 2012 season.
“Coming up to Washington where you can compete against some of the best programs in the country in one venue keeps you accountable as an athlete,” Frederick said. “It raises the competition level of the meet and each individual.”
Moving up to the 3,000, Mikel Elliott opened her CU track career with a women’s automatic qualifying time of 10:15.94 while Taylor Adrian crossed in 8:43.22 settled for provisional qualifying status after nearly splitting the two NAIA standards of 8:40.80 and 8:44.50.
The final CU woman to earn the auto mark was Gabriella Dixon in the shot put. Dixson took second place overall with a 45-5 (13.84m), a distance just over a foot below her indoor career best (46-6 3/4).
Two additional meet winners for Concordia came in the weight throw as Bo Johnson unleashed a 58-11 1/4 (17.96m) and Gabriella Dixson posted 55-10 1/2 (17.03m). Johnson’s distance fell more than two feet past the runner-up in the competition as Eastern Washington’s Zach Nelson settled for second with a 56-8 effort. Dixson’s distance was more than a foot better than Vania Tauvela’s, also of EWU, top mark of 54-4 3/4.
“With a week without a meet we can push a little more during training and get ready for our next time up here,” Frederick said. “These guys know what’s coming so we expect some good things.”
NAIA Indoor ‘A’ Standard
Gabriella Dixson, Shot
Gabriella Dixson, Weight Throw
Mikel Elliot, 3,000
Bo Johnson, Weight Throw
Junia Limage, 600
Linsie Michels, Mile
Catherine Sims, 400
NyEma Sims, 200
Women’s 1,600 Relay
NAIA Indoor ‘B’ Standard
Taylor Adrian, 3,000
NyEma Sims, 400
Concordia Men’s Results
60: 17. DeAndre Jackson, 7.16; 37. Eric Tolento, 7.36; 40. Alex Cicerich, 7.41. 200: 23. Eric Tolento, 23.42; 27. DeAndre Jackson, 23.52; 31. Alex Cicerich, 23.77. 600: 15. Demetruis Rhoades, 1:26.92; Mile: 39. Roman Kirkov, 4:30.82. 3,000: 27. Taylor Adrian, 8:43.22. Shot: 7. Zach Lake, 47-5 1/4 (14.46m); 18. Stephen Walter, 38-4 1/4 (11.69m). Weight Throw: 1. Bo Johnson, 58-11 1/4 (17.96m).
Concordia Women’s Results
60: 43. Kristin Monda, 8.41. 200: 1. NyEma Sims, 24.53; 11. Catherine Sims, 25.76. 400: 6. Catherine Sims, 58.64; 13. NyEma Sims, 59.56. 600: 6. Junia Limage, 1:35.27. Mile: 5. Linsie Michels, 4:53.82. 3,000: 19. Mikel Elliott, 10:15.94. Shot: 2. Gabriella Dixson, 45-5 (13.84m). Weight Throw: 1. Gabriella Dixson, 55-10 1/2 (17.03m); 6. Sharayah Kenady, 52-0 1/2 (15.88m). 1,600 Relay: 4. Concordia, 3:56.13 (Catherine Sims, Linsie Michels, Junia Limage, NyEma Sims).