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May 18, 2008

Complete Results |  Quotes |  Notes

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The University of Northern Iowa track and field team made history Sunday at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, sweeping the men's and women's league championships to cap what was an outstanding weekend for the Panthers.

The Panthers came out on the winning end of a battle with Southern Illinois to secure their first-ever women's outdoor conference title, while the UNI men took home their second-consecutive MVC crown.

In doing so, UNI became the first program in MVC history to sweep each of the league's four track and field team titles (women's indoor, men's indoor, women's outdoor, men's outdoor) in the same season.

The women's team racked up 172.5 points to edge out the Salukis, who finished runner-up in the team race with 168 points, while the Panther men scored 204 points to take the title over second-place Wichita State, which scored 180.5 points.

Sunday, the Panthers added six individual championships and another pair of NCAA regional qualifying marks to their laundry list of accomplishments. In total, UNI racked up 13 individual titles, added 11 new qualifiers for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships and tallied a total of 39 All-MVC honors.

Along with a sweep of the conference's outdoor coach of the year honors by UNI head coach Chris Bucknam, the Panthers earned several individual honors. Senior Raven Cepeda earned Most Valuable Men's Athlete honors, while sophomore Dani Stipe was named Outstanding Women's Track Athlete and sophomore Ehi Oamen was named Outstanding Men's Field Athlete.

"It was a highly-competititve meet and we answered the call when the chips were down on the last day," Bucknam said. "The first two days were phenomenal for our men and women, and that laid the groundwork. We had some hiccups today, but we were able to recover and win."

The women's team race was tight throughout the day, with UNI and Southern Illinois locked in a tight battle for the championship. The Salukis took the lead following the completion of the women's discus, but the Panthers snatched it back with a strong performance in the women's 5,000 meters.

Senior Traci Hawley took runner-up honors in 17:24.85, while junior Caedryn Schrunk came through with a fifth-place finish in 17:44.78 to give the Panthers a 4 1/2-point edge with two events to go.

A runner-up finish in the 4x400 relay, with the team of Dani Stipe, Amy Bagge, Kara Yahn and Lauren Carruthers clocking in 3:41.90, was enough to secure the title for the Panthers.

"It was those points that secured it for us," Bucknam said. "Just awesome stuff."

Bagge, a first-time regional qualifier this season, also added to the Panthers' point tally by winning the championships in the women's 800 meters in 2:10.35. Trailing by 20 meters with just 200 meters to go, Bagge used an outstanding kick down the homestretch to secure the win.

"I couldn't be happier for this women's program. It's come an awfully long way in the last four years," Bucknam said. "Last year we were close and the kids made that effort to get over the hump.

"I can't be more thrilled for them."

The sailing was smoother for UNI's men, who racked up six individual championships on the final day of the conference meet.

Senior Jarrel Anderson scored the victory in the men's 110-meter hurdles, clocking in at 14.20 seconds to hold off Cepeda, who took runner-up honors in 14.37. Wojciech Jurkowski was fourth in the race with a time of 14.62.

Sophomore Dorian Ulrey was another first-time outdoor winner for the Panthers, taking the title in the men's 1,500 meters in 3:56.81. He then followed with another All-MVC performance in the 800 meters, taking third behind teammate and repeat champion Tyler Mulder.

Mulder cruised to his second straight title in the event in 1:49.32, leading the charge for the five UNI athletes who made the nine-man final. In addition to the all-conference performances by Mulder and Ulrey, Jack Ogden was fifth, Mike Craddick was sixth and Dale Maxedon took seventh to rack up 25 points for the Panthers in the event.

Senior Terrance Reid also defended his title in the men's 400 meters, clocking in at 46.77 to earn the ninth MVC title of his career.

Also winning a second-conecutive title was sophomore Cory Goos, who took the top spot in the men's 400-meter hurdles with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 52.35. Goos' sprint off the final hurdle pushed him past teammate Dennis Hammel, who was second in 52.42. Both athletes have qualified for regional competition in the event.

The Panthers scored a total of five runner-up finishes on the day, as well, including second-place showings in both the men's and women's 4x400 relays.

UNI took second and third in the men's pole vault, with redshirt freshman Phil Hanson taking runner-up honors to Wichita State's Beau Morris, who took the title in a jump-off. Both cleared 17 feet, 3/4 inch, but neither was able to make it over the bar at 17-4 1/2. Hanson then missed his first attempt of the jump-off and Morris cleared the bar to take the title.

Hanson's mark improved his regional qualifying mark, while senior Raven Cepeda was third by matching the regional mark of 16-6 3/4 he also hit Saturday in the decathlon pole vault.

The Panthers now have a week off to prepare for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, which will be held May 30-31 at Ed Weir Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. UNI has posted a total of 28 qualifying marks for the regional meet.