2003 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog Track Indoor Season Highlights

By John Fulkrod
UMD head women's track & field coach

The lady Bulldogs won their 10th straight NSIC Conference indoor title and the 12th in school history. The men won the NSIC Conference indoor title marking their 9th title in the past 11 years. Since 1993 UMD has won 58 of the 64 NSIC titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, men and women.

New school indoor records were set in six events by the women and in two events by the men. Junior Andrea Vake from Hibbing was the big story setting new marks for 60 meters (8.17), 200 meters (25.91), 400 meters (57.89) and teaming with Heather Hamilton, Katie Schofield and Joslyn Marson to set new school indoor records of 1:48.13 in the 4 X 200 relay and 3:56.66 in the 4 X 400 relay. The 4 X 400 relay finished the season ranked 14th in the NCAA Division II. Hamilton also recorded a new record for 500 meters with a 1:18.22 clocking.

For the men sophomore Dan Soldner set a new record in the 35# Weight Throw with a toss of 56Õ 6.25". That throw ranked him 18th in NCAA Division II and he also was 13th in NCAA Division II in the Shot Put with a mark of 53Õ 7.75" just 2" off National qualifying. Senior Captain Brett Carroll continued to etch his name in the school record books with a new 5000 meter record of 15:01.61. Carroll also finished the season ranked 18th in NCAA Division II in the mile with a season best of 4:13.27. Carroll holds 3 outdoor school records including the school and and Conference 1500 meter and Steeplechase records.

Junior Adam Gellerstedt and Sophomore Robb Winterfeld also were sub 4:20 milers during the indoor season marking the first time in school history that three men were under 4:20 indoors in the mile in the same year. Gellerstedt won his fifth straight 800 meter Conference title and is the Conference indoor record holder as well as the school indoor and outdoor record holder at 800 meters. Gellerstedt also anchored the Bulldogs to a Conference record in the 4 X 800 relay.

Freshmen Derek Holbus and Greg DeMain were important newcomers for the Bulldog men with Holbus placing in four events in the Conference meet including winning the triple jump in 46Õ 6" which is the second best mark in school history. DeMain finished 2nd in the 200 with a clocking of 22.66 which is the 5th best indoor school 200 mark. He also clocked a season best of 6.49 seconds and is only the 4th Bulldog to run under 6.50 in that event.

Other men Conference champions were Junior Andy Wenger in the 600 at 1:22.55, Freshmen Sam Anderson in the 1000, Brett Carroll in the Mile and 5000, the 4 X 400 relay of Ross Ekberg, Dan Cinnamon, Gellerstedt and DeMain, and Junior Reid Welker in the pole vault with a career best leap of 15Õ.

The Bulldog womenÕs team enjoyed a spectacular Conference meet. Of the 42 entries in individual events 31 entrants established season best marks in their events while most of the other 11 recorded the second best mark of the season. The Bulldogs also set a new Conference record in the 4 X 400 relay with a 3:58.87 clocking. Sophomore Erika Olson was only 7 points off the school record in the pentathlon with her score of 3099 points good for second place in the meet. Olson added a third in the 800 and a fifth in the high jump. Junior Heather Hamilton was 4th in the high jump, 2nd in the 55 hurdles and 400 and was the 800 champion. Senior Angie Langenbrunner placed third in the conference with a toss of 52Õ 6.5" in the 20# Weight Throw and that mark was 24th in NCAA Division II.