Oles win DMR, are third after first day of MIACs

Sports Information
March 2, 2012

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Oles closed the first day of competition at the MIAC indoor track and field championships on Friday night at Macalester College's Leonard Center with a win in the DMR. St. Olaf stands in third place after the first day of competition with 57 points.

Moriah Novacinski, Emily Stets, Jamie Mosel and Maren Westby combined for a new MIAC meet-record time of 12:23.37 to win the women's DMR. The Oles trailed Carleton College in the event until Westby out-kicked Simone Childs-Walker on the final curve. St. Olaf held the previous meet-record 12:23.59 set in 2011 with Novacinski and Westby in the lead-off and anchor positions.

Earlier in the day Westby ran a lifetime best 5:09.01 in the mile, placing second behind St. Thomas' Taylor Berg. Novacinksi also placed in the event, running 5:14.36 for sixth place. And Stets, the 400 leg of the DMR, finished eighth in the 400 (60.24).

Dani Larson, after an impressive win in the pentathlon on Thursday, came back to finish second in the 400 (59.14) and fifth in the 60 meter hurdles (9.32). Larson won the second heat of the 400 but was beat by less than one hundredth of a second by Ellie Wilson of Carleton.

Kait Lorsbach and Lauren Harn both vaulted 3.07 (10-0.75) to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the pole vault.

Rachel Dean was sixth in the 5k (18:25.79) and Becca Bevans was eighth (18:37.35). And Megan Holmes won her heat of the 800 in 2:22.90 to place seventh overall.

The Oles return for Day 2 of competition on Saturday. Field events start at 11:30 and running events start at 2:00. St. Thomas is currently in first place with 103 points and Carleton is in second with 69.

Contact media relations specialist Mike Ludwig at (507) 786-3834 or ludwigm@stolaf.edu.