Olson looks to defend national high jump title at the NCAA Division III Championship

May 20, 2003

NORTON, MA- The two-time defending national champion Wheaton College women's outdoor track and field team will attempt to become the only Division III women's program to complete a third straight sweep of an indoor and outdoor national title this weekend at St. Lawrence University's Merrick-Pinkard Track and Field Complex in Canton, New York. The Lyons are in search of their third consecutive outdoor crown to go along with five straight indoor national prizes. At the indoor national meet, as the Lyons tied Louisiana State University for the second-longest winning streak in NCAA women's indoor track and field history.

This weekend the Blue and White look to cap their storied year in becoming the third NCAA Division III track program to capture three successive outdoor national championships, which was also accomplished by Christopher Newport University from 1987-89 and the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh from 1995-97. "When we started this program, my dream was to win a national championship," said head coach Paul Souza. "To win five in a row and seven overall is just beyond my wildest dreams. I have been so impressed with our athletes. They just continue to find ways to win."

Winning eight national championships over a span of five years is nothing short of spectacular, as the Lyons would tie Wisconsin-Oshkosh for the second most combined track and field national titles at the Division III level. Christopher Newport is tops all-time with 12 national crowns, including six indoor and six outdoor titles. If Wheaton's last two weeks of competition are any indication of the future, then the Lyons may very well maintain their status as the nation's greatest current track and field dynasty. On Saturday, May 10, Wheaton posted a fifth place finish among 33 Division I, II and III institutions at the All-New England Championship at the University of New Hampshire. The Lyons then captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) crown on Friday, May 16 at MIT.

Leading Wheaton's 13-member squad this weekend will be seniors Jana Bromell (Spencer, MA/David Prouty), Kristen Cullen (Stoneham, MA/Stoneham) and Noreen Kordzeil (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango). Bromell, who ran a leg on the indoor champion 4x400-meter relay team, will look to help the Lyons defend their national outdoor title in the 4x400M event in addition to competing in the 400-meter dash. Cullen and Kordzeil, who gained All-American status in the outdoor hurdles a year ago, will attempt to do the same in the 100-meter hurdles event this weekend.

The Lyons also will send juniors Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury), Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) and Kim Spence (Dover, NH/Dover). James and Smith had major contributions to the 2003 indoor national title, as the tandem not only ran a leg on the winning 4x400M event but also posted a one-two finish in the 400M race, as James notched her third consecutive national championship.

Expected to compete in the 200M, 400M, 4x100M and 4x400M events this weekend, James hopes to defend her outdoor titles in the 200M, 400M and 4x400M. Earning the prestigious Honda Award for Division III track and field in 2002 and Wheaton's Outstanding Female Athlete Award in 2003, James has picked up top national honors in the 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay an astounding 10 times in 10 chances. In her tenure with the Lyons, she has been a part of an astounding 11 event national championships. On an individual level, James has posted six national crowns, including five top marks in the 400M. Smith, who has been clocked with the fastest Division III time in the country in the 100-meter dash, is expected to compete in the 400-meter hurdles event and 4x100-meter relay in addition to the 100M. Spence will join Smith in the 400M hurdles race.

Other key athletes to watch will be sophomores Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/ Cathedral), Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional), Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) and Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) and freshmen Aspen James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury), Noelle Battista (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) and Oly Wirtz (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg).

A three-time indoor and outdoor national champion in the long jump and 4x400-meter relay, Donoghue will compete in an impressive four events, including the 400-meter dash, 4x400M, long jump and triple jump. Donoghue captured last year's long jump title with a leap of 19' 4". Larsen, who made an immediate impact as a freshman, earned All-America status in the javelin last May with a solid fourth place finish. Wallace, who qualified for her first national competition in the winter, met the mark once again in the high jump this season with a leap of 5' 6". Allegra will run a leg on the 4x100-meter relay team.

Aspen James, who saw her first national competition in the 55-meter dash in March, will look to score in the 100M, 200M and 4x100M relay events this weekend. Battista, who vaulted a career-best 11' 7 3/4" last weekend at the ECAC Championship, will compete in her first national competition. Qualifying for the indoor national event but not competing in the 4x400-meter relay, Wirtz is scheduled to run a leg in this weekend's 4x400M race.

Sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) will represent the men, as he looks to defend his outdoor national championship in the high jump. Olson, who cleared 7' 1" a year ago at this meet, leads this year's field with a Division III season-best jump of 7' 1". With a victory this weekend, Olson can lay claim to winning three of the possible four high jump national titles in his career.

Last updated on 5/20/03.
Send questions about this page to Scott Dietz or contact Wheaton College.

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