Pre-GPAC Championships slate concludes

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Several Morningside University men's and women's athletes made strong moves up the Track and Field Results Reporting System's Great Plains Athletic Conference performance list Saturday, Feb. 12.

In their final dress rehearsal, head coach Dave Nash's squads, before the league meet, had two events wind up in the top 10 at the South Dakota State University Indoor Classic. Senior Camden Beller (Sioux City, Iowa) crossed sixth in the 600 (1:23.1), a time that put him sixth-fastest in the conference. Fellow senior Tenna Beel (Stanton, Neb.) placed ninth in the 1000 meters (3:08.89), which helped her climb into the GPAC first ten at No. 8. 

The two 4x800 meter relays not only leaped into the conference's best five but the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' top 15. The women's quartet of Beel, seniors Emalee Fundermann (Anthon, Iowa) and Jo McKibben (Mapleton, Iowa) and sophomore Michelle Sanchez (Sioux City, Iowa) hit a B national qualifying mark (9:38.83) which also ranked fourth in the GPAC. The men's crew of seniors Ro Paschal (Mancos, Colo.), Zach Ambrose (Dunlap, Iowa), Tyler Carney (Ames, Iowa), and Beller clocked a 7:54.56, second-quickest in the conference and 13^th nationally.

Looking further into the results at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, senior Betsy Ridout (Ankeny, Iowa) moved into 11^th in the GPAC in the 60 meters (8.03 seconds) and 200 meters (26.07 seconds); senior Kristine Honomichl (Westminster, Colo.) notched a 5:19.26 in the mile to rank seventh in the league; and sophomore Austin Freiberg's (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) 8.49 in the 60-meter hurdles put her eighth conference-wide. 

Morningside aims for individual and team awards at the 2022 GPAC Championships Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19. Doane University is the meet host.