May 27, 2006

LISLE, ILL. . . . Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) student-athletes earned 18 All-American honors at the 2006 NCAA outdoor track and field National Championships hosted by Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. on May 25-27 highlighted by five double honorees and eight repeat honorees.

Wartburg College junior Rachel Brincks placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles (61.67 seconds) and was a member of the sixth-place 4x400 relay team (3:49.13). Central College seniors Justin Koeppe and Kevin Pitz, sophomore Guy Dierikx and freshman Craig Hernandez were all members of the Dutch’s sixth-place 4x400 relay team (3:13.47) and seventh-place 4x100 relay team (41.28 seconds).

Repeating as All-Americans were Central junior Alicia Whisner, Central’s men’s 4x400 relay team, Loras College senior Andy Stoecken, Luther College sophomore Jess Jewell, Simpson College senior Caroline Capper, Wartburg sophomore Heidi Porter, and Wartburg’s men’s and women’s 4x400 relay teams.

Whisner earned her third straight All-American honor in the javelin, finishing fourth with a throw of 45.18 meters after placing fifth last year and seventh in 2004. Jewell finished seventh (42.06 meters) in the discus after placing fifth a year ago. Capper placed sixth in the hammer (51.33 meters), improving on a seventh-place finish in 2005. Porter finished sixth in the 800-meters (2:11.65) after a third-place finish in the event last year. Wartburg’s women’s 4x400 relay team finished sixth (3:49.13) for the school’s third straight All-American honor in the event. Juniors Steph Arey and Bridget Burns both earned their third All-American honor in the event, junior Amy Koester earned her second All-American honor in the event.

Stoecken earned his third straight All-American honor in the high jump, finishing third with a jump of 2.06 meters after a runner-up finish last year and a seventh-place finish in 2004. Wartburg’s men’s 4x400 relay team earned the school’s fourth straight All-American honor in the event with an eighth-place finish (3:14.08). Senior Josh Hauser, junior Scott Tjeerdsma and sophomore Brian Schmitt each earned their second straight 4x400 All-American honor. Centrals’ 4x400 relay team earned its second straight All-American honor with a sixth-place finish (3:13.47). Dierikx, Koeppe and Pitz were also members of last year’s team that finished fifth.

Stoecken and Loras sophomore discus thrower Ellen Thys (44.72 meters) were the top Conference finishers, placing third in their respective events.

The Wartburg women, the defending National Champions, were the highest finishing Iowa Conference team placing in a three-way tie for 19th-place with 14.0 points. Loras women totaled 11.5 points, placing 26th, narrowly edging Central, which finished 27th with 11.0 points. Luther was among five teams finishing 46th with five points and Simpson was among five schools finishing 55th with three points. The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh won its NCAA-record seventh national title with 54 points followed by Williams College (42 points), Oneonta State (41 points) and City College of New York (41 points).

On the men’s side, Wartburg and Loras were among five schools tied for 36th-place with six points. Central finished tied with eight others for 41st-place with nine points. The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse won its NCAA-record 10th national title, fifth in six years, with 74.5 points followed by defending National Champion Lincoln University (54 points) and Wisconsin-Whitewater (46 points).

Buena Vista University women, Cornell College women, University of Dubuque men and Luther College men also sent representatives to the National Championship meet but failed to score in the team standings.

Iowa Conference student-athletes qualified 40 times in individual events and in six relays. The complete list of IIAC National Championship performances follow.

IOWA CONFERENCE ALL-AMERICANS (TOP-8 FINISHERS)

Women
• Central’s Alicia Whisner – 4th in javelin (45.18m), third straight All-American honor in javelin
• Central’s Alex Costigan – 5th in javelin (44.65m)
• Central’s Dana Wilkerson – 7th in heptathlon (4646 points)
• Loras’ Ellen Thys – 3rd in discus (44.72m)
• Loras’ Dana Klemm – 5th in shot put (13.80m)
• Loras’ Whitney Calvert – t-7th in pole vault (3.62m)
• Luther’s Emily Pankow – 6th in heptathlon (4686 points)
• Luther’s Jess Jewell – 7th in discus (42.06m), second straight All-American honor in discus
• Simpson’s Caroline Capper – 6th in hammer (51.33m), second straight All-American honor in hammer
• Wartburg’s Heidi Porter – 4th in 800-meters (2:13.77), second straight All-American honor in 800
• Wartburg’s Rachel Brincks – 5th in 400-hurdles (61.67 seconds)
• Wartburg’s 4x400 relay (Steph Arey, Rachel Brincks, Bridget Burns, Amy Koester) – 6th (3:49.13); Arey & Burns third straight All-American honor in 4x400, Koester’s second straight All-American honor in 4x400
• Wartburg’s 4x100 relay (Akeye Aimable, Kelsea Cannon, Lucy Joseph, Kelsey Steffens) – 7th (47.63 seconds)

Men
• Central’s 4x400 relay (Ben Bollard, Guy Dierikx, Craig Hernandez (final), Justin Koeppe (prelim), Kevin Pitz – 6th (3:13.47); Dierikx, Koeppe & Pitz second straight All-American honor in 4x400 relay
• Central’s 4x100 relay (Zac Bailey, Guy Dierikx, Craig Hernandez (final), Justin Koeppe (prelim), Kevin Pitz) – 7th (41.28 seconds)
• Loras’ Andy Stoecken – 3rd in high jump (2.06m), third straight All-American honor in high jump
• Wartburg’s Tim McKenna – 4th in 3000-meter steeplechase (9:07.55)
• Wartburg’s 4x400 relay (Josh Hauser, Brodie Overton, Brian Schmitt, Scott Tjeerdsma) – 8th (3:14.08); Hauser, Schmitt & Tjeerdsma second straight All-American honor in 4x400 relay

OTHER IOWA CONFERENCE QUALIFIERS’ PERFORMANCES

Women
• Buena Vista’s KeAnna Martin – 5th in heat of 100-meters (12.59 seconds)
• Central’s Steph Hillman – 18th in heptathlon (4087 points)
• Central’s Chelsey Keller – 6th in flight of shot put (12.93m)
• Cornell’s Jessica Axen – 7th in heat of 100-hurdles (15.04 seconds)
• Loras’ Abby Erion – 9th in heptathlon (4459 points); 10th in flight of triple jump (10.66m)
• Loras’ Molly Banse – 6th in flight of discus (40.97m)
• Loras’ Dana Klemm – 9th in flight of hammer (46.96m)
• Simpson’s Caroline Capper – 6th in flight of shot put (13.44m)
• Simpson’s Kelsey Hagerty – 7th in flight of javelin (41.32m)
• Wartburg’s Lucy Joseph – 9th in 100-hurdles (15.17 seconds)
• Wartburg’s Bridget Burns – 3rd in heat of 400-meters (56.50 seconds)
• Wartburg’s Steph Arey – 5th in heat of 400-hurdles (62.83 seconds)
• Wartburg’s Jessica Bates – 7th in flight of hammer (48.36m)

Men
• Central’s Justin Koeppe – 9th in 400-hurdles (58.13 seconds)
• Central’s Shawn McLarney – 6th in flight of long jump (6.77m)
• Central’s Brian Respeliers – 8th in heat of 800-meters (1:53.26)
• Central’s Bryan George – 8th in heat of 1500-meters (3:57.58)
• Dubuque’s Jean Metezier – 5th in heat of 100-meters (10.98 seconds)
• Dubuque’s Daunta Peterson – 6th in heat of 100-meters (10.89 seconds)
• Dubuque’s Gregg Wiersema – 6th in heat of 100-meters (11.05 seconds)
• Dubuque’s Derik Wulfekuhle – 9th in flight of javelin (55.78m)
• Dubuque’s 4x100 relay (Jean Metezier, Daunta Peterson, Darell Walker, Gregg Wiersema) – disqualified in preliminary
• Loras’ Kyle Calvert – 12th in pole vault (4.56m)
• Luther’s Zach Tucker – 9th in high jump (2.00m)
• Luther’s Erik Bies – 7th in heat of 800-meters (1:52.32)
• Wartburg’s Patrick Johnson – 12th in 3000-meter steeplechase (9:27.82)
• Wartburg’s Kyle Peters – 14th in decathlon (5854 points)

Complete NCAA Championship results can be found on the Championship web site here.

In conjunction with the Championship, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its regional and national awards on Wednesday. Loras high jumper Andrew Stoecken (Bellevue, Iowa/Bellevue) was named Central Region Field Athlete of the Year and Wartburg head coach Marcus Newsom was named Central Region Women’s Coach of the Year.

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