MIAC Indoor Track & Field Athletes-of-the-Week

http://www.miac-online.org/news/2012/1/30/MITRACK_0130123342.aspx

MIAC Men's Indoor Field Co-Athletes-of-the-Week

Mike Harley, Augsburg

Scandia, Minn. / Stillwater

John Spray, Augsburg
Mount Dora, Fla. / Mount Dora Bible

It hasn't taken long for Augsburg's talented new high-jumping duo to make an impact at the collegiate level. Just a few weeks into their career as Auggies, freshmen John Spray (Mount Dora, Fla./Mount Dora Bible) and Mike Harley (Scandia, Minn./Stillwater) have already put their names into Augsburg's track and field record book. Saturday, the duo tied for first place in the high jump, simultaneously breaking the school record for height and sharing the new record thanks to their identical marks. For their record-setting performance, Spray and Harley have been named the MIAC Men's Field Co-Athletes-of-the-Week.

The high-flying Auggie freshmen scored the co-first-place finish and the new school record Saturday just across the border into Wisconsin at the Warren Bowlus Open hosted by UW-Stout on its Menomonie, Wis., campus. Spray and Harley both cleared the bar at 1.89 meters, or 6-2.25 feet to finish first, break the Augsburg record and lead the Auggies' field team. The previous record was 1.86 meters, set by Luke Trees during the 2001 indoor season. The record-breaking performance came in Augsburg's first indoor meet of 2012, and the first career meet for both Spray and Harley.

The talented first-year duo will try to continue their early success this weekend, as the Auggies travel across the metro area to Arden Hills, Minn., for the Bethel University Invitational. It will be Augsburg's second of five meets during the indoor season leading up to the MIAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Macalester March 2-3.

MIAC Women's Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week

Ashley Carney, Augsburg
Lakeville, Minn./South

The Augsburg women's track and field team traveled to their first indoor competition of the 2012 season Saturday, and already junior Ashley Carney (Lakeville, Minn./South) was in mid-season form in her very first race. The sprinter ran to a first-place finish in the 60-meter dash, running the fastest time in the MIAC this season and setting a new personal record to highlight the Auggie track team's first performance of the season. For her strong start to the season, Carney has been named the MIAC Women's Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week.

Carney was superb at Saturday's Warren Bowlus Open, hosted by UW-Stout on its Menomonie, Wis., campus. She won the 60 with a time of 7.87. Not only is her time a new personal record and the top time in the MIAC in 2012, but it also ranks 14th in all of NCAA Division III at this point in the season. Carney added another personal best in the 200-meter dash, finishing fifth with a time of 27.09.

Augsburg's junior sprinter will try to shave even more time off her personal bests this weekend, as the Auggies travel across the metro area to Arden Hills, Minn., for the Bethel University Invitational. It will be Augsburg's second of five meets during the indoor season leading up to the MIAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Macalester March 2-3.

MIAC Women's Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week

Amy Maas, St. Thomas
Burnsville, Minn. / Burnsville

This weekend, the St. Thomas track and field team traveled to Northfield to compete in the St. Olaf Invitational, and the story of the meet for the Tommies was the performance of thrower Amy Maas (Burnsville, Minn.). The senior not only won two different field events - the shot put and the weight throw - but she also set new personal bests in both events and climbed toward the top of the MIAC Performance lists as well. For her double-winning performance, Maas has been named the MIAC Women's Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week.

In the shot put, Maas's winning throw traveled a distance of 12.70 meters, or 41-08 feet. She also finished first in the weight throw to sweep the two main throwing events at the Oles' invite with a distance of 15.35 meters or 50-04.5 feet. In addition to setting a new personal best in each event, Maas is also now ranked second in both events on the MIAC Performance List. She only trails Hamline's Becky Culp in the shot put (12.79 meters) and Hamline's Brenna Coyle in the weight throw (17.21 meters).

Saturday's meet at St. Olaf was the Tommies third of the indoor season. They'll travel to The Select Meet this coming Saturday in Wartburg, Iowa, for a noon start. After that, UST will have four more events to get prepared to defend their MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship. This year's event will be March 2-3, hosted by Macalester.