Illinois Wesleyan earns tie for national title in women's outdoor track & field

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Illinois Wesleyan can add another banner to the rafters after taking home the title in women's outdoor track & field during the NCAA Division III National Championships May 22-24 in Oshkosh, Wis. Illinois Wesleyan tallied 35 points to finish tied for first with Wisconsin-River Falls.

This was the Titans' second national title of the season after winning the indoor national championship in March. This is also the 35th NCAA Divison III national title in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) history and third during the 2007-08 academic year. The Wheaton women's soccer team won its third national title in four years in November.

Additionally, Illinois Wesleyan's Rachel Anderson (Clinton, Ill./H.S.) was named the Female Track Athlete of the Year recently by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The USTFCCCA also named Augustana's Paul Olsen the National Men's Coach of the Year while Illinois Wesleyan's Marchan Adkins was honored as the National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

At the championships, Anderson was first in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes with times of 24.76 and 54.35 respectively. Her time of 54.35 in the 400 dash was a Division III best this season. Ali McCoy (Irving, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) was third in the 200 dash with a time of 24.88. McCoy, Anderson, Amanda LaRocca (Palatine, Ill./H.S.) and Alex Sawyer (Chicago, Ill./DeLaSalle) finished third in the 4x100-meter relay (46.62) while the 4x400-meter relay team of Anderson, McCoy, Mackenzie Clemens (Bloomington, Ill./H.S.) and Brooke Halcott (Streator, Ill./Ottawa Marquette) was sixth (3:47.81).

The Illinois Wesleyan men placed 25th as Matt Harden (O'Fallon, Ill./H.S.) and Segun Olopo (Chicago, Ill./Brooks School) took home all-America honors, finishing fifth (21.50) and seventh (21.80) respectively in the 400 dash. Olopo, Harden, Azizuddin Rose (Chicago, Ill./DeLaSalle) and Mike Conti (Itasca, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) finished fourth in the 4x100 relay with a time of 41.09.

The Augustana men finished 16th as Ted McMillan (Cordova, Ill./Erie) was second in the 400-meter hurdles (51.45), third in the high jump (6-9), and was the anchor for the eighth-place 4x400 relay team, which finished with a time of 3:15.00. Brad Holehan (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet Catholic) took sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:09.22. Steve Sulfridge (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) finished eighth in the pole vault (15-0).

On the women's side for Augustana, Marissa Banks (Ames, Iowa/H.S.) earned all-America status by finishing third in the discus with a throw of 154-10.

North Central's Adam Pennington (Sandwich, Ill./H.S.) was eighth in the 400 dash (48.15) while Michael Bina (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) finished fourth in the pole vault (16-3 1/4). The 4x400 relay team of Pennington, Greg Jackson (Plainfield, Ill./Central), Adam Johnson (Prophetstown, Ill./Annawan) and Jon Howard (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) finished sixth with a time of 48.15.

Rachel Secrest (Wheaton, Ill./North) and Allison Worley (Sycamore, Ill./H.S.) tied for seventh in the pole vault for the North Central women, clearing a height of 11-10 1/2.

For Elmhurst, Brian McConnell (Delavan, Ill./H.S.) earned his second straight all-America honor in the 1,500-meter run, finishing third with a time of 3:48.02 to break his own school record. Mike Ptack (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) earned his first all-America honor with a fifth place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:09.19).

Wheaton's Brandon Mull (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Christian) earned all-America honors in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs. He finished sixth in the 5K (14:40.08) and sixth in the 10K (30:34.51). On the women' s side, Brandi McNeil (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian) was second in the javelin (162-4).

LINK TO FULL RESULTS FOR THE NCAA DIVISON III OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS