Wartburg women's indoor track and field continues impressive run

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Spurred on by a 4x400 meter national title, Wartburg College again found itself on the podium at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Coach Marcus Newsom's women's squad, gaining the program's seventh successive team trophy at either an indoor or outdoor national meet, scored 44 points inside Capital University's Center March 11 and 12. The Knights' team total left them just two and a half points behind UW-Oshkosh.

“We had some young athletes competing this weekend, and I felt like they each stepped it up,” Newsom said. “I'm happy with what we did. I also feel good about the fact this group will continue to get better.”

Individually, another sparkling streak continued, too. The Orange and Black's 14 combined All-American awards marked the 10th straight indoor meet in which the Knights have been in double digits.

Newsom's men's squad, scoring nine points for a tie for 21st, had freshman phenom Jonas Elusme of Boynton Beach, Fla., pick up two by placing third in the high jump and sixth in the long jump. The women earned 12, highlighted by the 3:47.16 school record time of 4x400 meter relay members junior Faith Burt of Cedar Falls, senior Brittany Melloy of Mount Pleasant, sophomore Kendra Kregel of Delhi and junior Nevada Morrison of Chicago, Ill. The remaining All-American honors went to Burt who was fourth in the 55 meter dash, freshman Camesha Goods of Danville, Virginia, who placed fourth in the 55 meter hurdles, junior Skye Morrison of Chicago, Ill., who placed third in the triple jump and second in the long jump, her twin sister, Nevada, was eighth in the 55 and third in the 400, Melloy taking seventh in the 400, and junior Sarah Hoffmann of Farley who was eighth in the shot put.

Wartburg breaks from competition until Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2, when the annual Select meet at Walston-Hoover Stadium opens the outdoor portion of the 2011 season.

NOTES: Adding to their indoor All-American total were Skye Morrison (four-time); Nevada Morrison (six-time); and Burt (five-time). … Wartburg's women have now finished in the top five four times since 2005, while the men have ended in the top 25 four times in program history.