Wheaton women look to extend NCAA track and field championship streak to four

May 25, 2004

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track and field teams will make a return to Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois for the second time in four seasons, as the Lyons get set to compete at the NCAA Division III Championships from May 27-29 at Frank M. Lindsay Field. The women have the opportunity to accomplish what no other program has; to win a fourth straight outdoor crown. On the men's side, the Lyons will look to better their fifth-place finish from 2002.

Head coach Paul Souza will send seven women's track and field athletes and two members from the men's team. Senior standout Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) will look to become just the second NCAA Division III athlete ever to have swept all the indoor and outdoor national titles in a single event. An astounding 15-time national champion and 20-time All-America performer, James is in search of her eighth 400-meter dash crown and third 200-meter dash championship.

The first and only time an athlete has won all eight titles in a single event was from 1992-95 when Eleena Zhelezov of Brandeis University was victorious in the triple jump. Having won a team national championship in six of the seven seasons that James has competed, Wheaton will also rely on the standout sprinter in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay races. James enters this weekend's meet with the fastest time in the 400M at 54.54 and the second fastest mark in the 200M at 24.41.

Wheaton's 4x100-meter relay team, consisting of James, junior Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) and first-year athletes Alison Amendola (Franklin, MA/Franklin) and Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater), boasts the nation's fastest time in the event at 47.62, while the Lyons' 4x400M squad, comprised of James, Allegra, Amendola and sophomore Oly Wirtz (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg), currently stands sixth at 3:51.44.

Amendola will also compete in the 200-meter dash, as she enters the event with a time of 25.21, while Harlow, participating in her first national championship meet, qualified in the high jump with a 5' 6" performance. Rounding out Wheaton's group is senior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and junior Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) in the javelin throw. Spence ranks 11th on the entry list in 10:53.65 while Larsen is third at 144' 2".

On the men's side, juniors Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) and Stan Pyle (South Portland, ME/South Portland) will represent the team in the high jump and 5,000-meter run, respectively. A four-time national champion in the high jump, Olson currently owns the nation's top height at 7' 1". There are only two athletes entered in the meet that have reached seven feet. Pyle, who also qualified for the 5,000M in the indoor meet, will look to garner All-America laurels for the first time this season. Pyle enters the meet at 14:36.82, which is just over 14 seconds off the leader.

Tickets for the championships will be available for a single day or for the three-day event. Prices for single-day tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students. All-session tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets will be available for purchase on May 26 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. in the lower level of Richards Treat University Center and on May 27-29 one hour prior to the first event up until the last event of the day at either of the two ticket gates (off of Oakland Street and south of stadium).

Last updated on 5/25/04.
Send questions about this page to Scott Dietz or contact Wheaton College.

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