Raider men, Falcon women take outdoor titles
LISLE, Ill. -- MSOE captured its second Northern Athletics Conference men's title in 4 years and Concordia Wisconsin win its fifth-straight women's title at the 2011 NAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend at Lisle-Benedictine Sports Complex. The Raider men captured nine individual titles at this year's championship for 176.5 points, ahead of runner-up Aurora with 149 points, and third-place and host Benedictine with 147 points.
Concordia Wisconsin was fourth (138), Concordia Chicago fifth (84.5), Edgewood sixth (57), Wisconsin Lutheran seventh (16) and Rockford eighth (9).
The Raiders' Matt Waech was named Freshman of the Meet as he won the pole vault (4.12 meters), took third in the 200-meter dash (22.61) and was a member of MSOE's 4x100-meter relay team that took first (42.37). Waech's coach Larry Gardner was named Coach of the Year as the Raiders captured their first title since 2008.
Concordia Wisconsin's Andy Ashenden was named Track Athlete of the Meet, and Aurora's Erick Capshaw was named Field Athlete of the Meet.
Ashenden cleaned up on the distance events as he won the 1,500-meter run (4:03.50), 5,000-meter run (15:41.06) and 10,000-meter run (33:27.14).
Capshaw won the shot put (13.84 meters), was third in the javelin (48.86 meters), finished fourth in the discus throw (39.57 meters), and was fifth in the hammer throw (43.62 meters).
The Falcon women took home five individual titles and finished with 186 points. Aurora was runner-up with 125, Concordia Chicago third with 120.5, Edgewood fourth with 106 and MSOE fifth with 77.5.
Wisconsin Lutheran (70) was sixth, host Benedictine (64) seventh and Rockford (25) eighth.
The Falcons' Samantha Gries was named Track Athlete of the Meet as she won the 5,000-meter run (18:08.70), the 10,000-meter run (37:58.54), and the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
CUW coach Russ Delap was named Coach of the Year after the Falcon's fifth-straight outdoor title.
Benedictine's Vanessa Mensie was the Field Athlete of the Meet as she won the hammer throw (49.95 meters) and discus (40.38 meters), and finished third in the shot put (10.73 meters).
Edgewood's Denay Hering won the 400-meter hurdles (1:06.54), finished fourth in the 400-meter dash (1:01.48) and fifth in the 100-meter dash (13.49) and was named Freshman of the Meet.