Chargers place third and fourth at GLIAC Championship
John Anderson
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Sports
Last weekend, Charger track and field made history at the GLIAC Championships as the team recorded 12 All-Conference performances and brought home a coveted NCAA automatic qualification - the second ever in school history.
The men brought home a third place finish and the women placed fourth.
Junior Jason Stomps' remarkable performance marked him as one of only two athletes in Charger history to auto qualify for nationals. His 35-pound weight throw of 62 feet 4 1/2 inches, took second place at the GLIACs and broke the school record by almost two feet.
Sophomore Aaron Falk's weight throw was just behind Stomps at 60 feet 7 1/4 inches, setting a new school record - until Stomps stepped up to throw. Falk, who finished third, said this is one of the best years in the weight throw, especially considering the tough conference competition.
"There are previous national champions from Ashland [University], and we beat all but one of them at conference," Falk said.
Assistant coach Jeff Forino said Stomps' ability to not be intimidated by competition helped him perform better.
"While a lot of other athletes would be intimidated by their competition, Jason constantly asks the question, 'Why can't I beat him,'" Forino said. "What also helps him is that, in the GLIAC, he competes against most of the top guys in the nation, so when he goes to a national meet, he sees the same kids."
Sophomore Jared Krout provided another highlight, as he won three events: the 200-meter dash, the 400-m dash and the long jump. He also was named GLIAC Male Running Athlete of the Meet for the second time in two years.
"To be honored for the second year in a row is pretty amazing," head coach Bill Lundberg said. "In the 200, he came within .01 seconds of getting us a second automatic qualification."
Sophomore Andre Holmes took home GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors for his finishes: fourth place in the long jump and second in the triple jump.
"Two inches separated first and second [in the triple jump], and both were over a foot in front of third," Lundberg said.
On the women's side, freshman Marta Scheiwe and junior Jazmin Williams's performances were highlights. Both turned in top performances in the 200 and 400-m dash.
Another high point came when both the men's and women's distance medley relay teams ran provisionally qualifying marks.
Freshman Circe Cansino was the breakout performance of the meet.
"Circe had a huge day," assistant coach Andy Towne said. "She came into the meet ranked 12th and got fourth in the 55 [meter dash], and she was ranked 15th in the 200 and ended up getting eighth."
The Chargers take a week off before Nationals in Mankato, Minn., March 14 and 15.
The men brought home a third place finish and the women placed fourth.
Junior Jason Stomps' remarkable performance marked him as one of only two athletes in Charger history to auto qualify for nationals. His 35-pound weight throw of 62 feet 4 1/2 inches, took second place at the GLIACs and broke the school record by almost two feet.
Sophomore Aaron Falk's weight throw was just behind Stomps at 60 feet 7 1/4 inches, setting a new school record - until Stomps stepped up to throw. Falk, who finished third, said this is one of the best years in the weight throw, especially considering the tough conference competition.
"There are previous national champions from Ashland [University], and we beat all but one of them at conference," Falk said.
Assistant coach Jeff Forino said Stomps' ability to not be intimidated by competition helped him perform better.
"While a lot of other athletes would be intimidated by their competition, Jason constantly asks the question, 'Why can't I beat him,'" Forino said. "What also helps him is that, in the GLIAC, he competes against most of the top guys in the nation, so when he goes to a national meet, he sees the same kids."
Sophomore Jared Krout provided another highlight, as he won three events: the 200-meter dash, the 400-m dash and the long jump. He also was named GLIAC Male Running Athlete of the Meet for the second time in two years.
"To be honored for the second year in a row is pretty amazing," head coach Bill Lundberg said. "In the 200, he came within .01 seconds of getting us a second automatic qualification."
Sophomore Andre Holmes took home GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors for his finishes: fourth place in the long jump and second in the triple jump.
"Two inches separated first and second [in the triple jump], and both were over a foot in front of third," Lundberg said.
On the women's side, freshman Marta Scheiwe and junior Jazmin Williams's performances were highlights. Both turned in top performances in the 200 and 400-m dash.
Another high point came when both the men's and women's distance medley relay teams ran provisionally qualifying marks.
Freshman Circe Cansino was the breakout performance of the meet.
"Circe had a huge day," assistant coach Andy Towne said. "She came into the meet ranked 12th and got fourth in the 55 [meter dash], and she was ranked 15th in the 200 and ended up getting eighth."
The Chargers take a week off before Nationals in Mankato, Minn., March 14 and 15.
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