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Ole Men's Track and Field at Kansas Relays

Mark Bresnan
April 23, 2001

The St. Olaf men's track and field team took advantage of strong competition and ideal weather last week at the Kansas Relays in Lawrence. The Oles garnered several season-best performances and one national qualifier during the four-day competition that featured many of the nation's strongest schools in each of the NCAA divisions as well as several premier junior colleges.

Jon Berg (Sr., Armstrong, Minn.) made an early trip south to compete in his first decathlon of the spring. His two-day point total of 6161 qualifies provisionally for the national meet and he placed sixth in the field. Berg performed particularly well in the pole vault and the high jump, and will seek his third consecutive trip to the national meet later this May.

Though the meet was dominated by relay events, several Oles recorded excellent individual performances. Mark Bresnan (Sr., Indianola, Iowa) narrowly missed the provisional standard in the 800 meters, running1:52.87 to take third in his section and finish tenth overall. Peder Arneson (FY. Montevideo, Minn.) and Joel Tortomasi (So., Beloit, Wis.) posted strong times in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, respectively. Arneson ran15:19 to take second in his section and Tortomasi posted a 33:12. Corey Dingels (Jr., Gibbon, Minn.) continued to rebound from a slow start this outdoor season, soaring 6.91 meters in the long jump and clearing 6 feet 6 inches in the high jump.

The 4X1 mile relay quartet of Mark Sullivan (So.,West Bend, Wis.), Rob Hillard (So., Columbia, Mo.), Arneson, and Andrew Cole (Jr., Mankato, Minn.) captured the Oles' best finish during the weekend, snaring fourth place in18:01, the top Division III performance in the field. The 4X400 meter relay also performed well, recording a 3:18.38. The squad, featuring Ryan Noreen (So., Bloomington, Minn.), Dingels, Matt Wieland (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) and Bresnan now own the fastest time run at St. Olaf in the past six years, but did not make the finals.

The Oles also sent a contingent across the river to the Carleton Relays. Mark Murakami (Jr., Chicago, IL) qualified automatically for the MIAC championships in the 400 meters, posting a 51.12. Strong carries by Tobiah Bingham (FY, Lenox, Ma.) led the 4X800 and 4X1600 meter teams to solid performances, taking eighth and fourth place, respectively. John Gensmer (So., Mounds View, Minn.) cleared a season-best fourteen feet in the pole vault to lead the field event corps.

St. Olaf will send their 4X100 and 4X400 meter relay teams to the Drake Relays this Friday, April 27 and will take the whole squad to the St. John's Invitational on Saturday, April 28.

Contact Pat Buresh at 507-786-3315 or buresh@stolaf.edu.