May 4, 2008
PSU Men MIAA Runners-Up; Women Finish 5th
MARYVILLE,
Mo. -- The Pittsburg State University men’s
track & field team made a determined push for an MIAA title Sunday
(May 4), but the Gorillas had to settle for a game second-place showing
at the 2008 MIAA Outdoor Championships at Herschel Neil Track.
The Gorilla women’s squad, limited by injuries
and some redshirt seasons by key performers, settled for an uncharacteristic
fifth-place showing in the conference meet.
For the men, Jeremy Dunkle and MJ Hassaballa snared
individual MIAA titles -- in the 110m hurdles and the 1,500m -- to lead
the Gorillas’ bid to catch eventual MIAA champion University of
Central Missouri.
The Mules finished the meet with 174.5 points to claim
their 11th league crown in the last 13 years. The Gorillas, who finished
with 135.5 points, placed second overall for the third straight year and
the fourth time time in five years. Emporia State University was a distant
third with 119 points.
Dunkle and Jeremy Jackson finished one-two in
the 110m hurdles. Kiara Jones placed second in the triple jump and Braden
Hayes added an MIAA runner-up finish in the hammer. David Martin and Ethan
Hobbs also secured MIAA runner-up finishes, placing second in the 400m
and the pole vault, respectively. David Cox (steeplechase), Tim Testa
(800m), Nate Thomas (400m hurdles) and the 1,600m relay team of Martin,
John Van Gundy, Thomas and Darius Johnson all scored third place finishes
for the Gorillas.
“Our men competed very well,” PSU
head coach Russ Jewett said. “We’d have liked to won a league
title, but the meet was Central Missouri’s to lose. They were loaded
for bear. I’m proud of how our guys charged hard on day two. We
had some adversity on day one with a few little things not going our way,
but we didn’t lay down. We battled.”
The Pitt State women also battled to the meet’s
end Sunday, finishing with 72.5 points. Haley Mendicki and Erica Ogle
led the Gorillas with MIAA runner-up finishes in the 400m and the steeplechase
Missouri Southern State University ran away with the
MIAA title with a 193-point performances. The University of Central Missouri
was a distant second with 152.5 points, while Emporia State Universityw
as third with 149 points.
Other noteable PSU performances included Michelle
Mitchell’s third-place finish in the pole vault. Lucinda Fortney
(3,000m) and Emily Middleton (high jump) also scored third-place efforts.
“For our women, finishing fifth isn’t
great by any means, but it was all we probably could have expected given
the circumstances of the season with respect to some injuries and redshirts,”
Jewett said. “They did all that they could. There were some highlights
and some personal best performances but we just didn’t have enough
ammunition to compete at the top this year.”