Track & Field

Apr 15, 2008
Stangler, Heesch, Kunkel & Fick Named Track & Field Athletes of the Week

Rachel Stangler

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Rachel Stangler and Matt Heesch of Augustana have been named the North Central Conference Outdoor Track Athletes of the Week while Amanda Kunkel of St. Cloud State and Matt Fick of North Dakota have been named the North Central Conference Outdoor Field Athletes of the Week.

Stangler, a senior from Albany, Minn., won the 3,000-meter run at the Bison Open in a time of 9:55.95. The mark is the fourth best performance in NCAA Division II competition this year. The time is also a provisional qualifying performance for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Heesch, a sophomore from Mitchell, S.D., won his first collegiate race when he posted a personal-best time of 15:28.14 in the 5,000-meter run at the Bison Open.

Kunkel, a senior from Eden Prairie, Minn., won the shot put (48-2) and finished fifth in the hammer throw (151-5) at the Bison Open. The hammer throw broke Kunkel's own school record of 150-7 set last year in Fargo. The shot put mark is a provisional qualifying performance for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Fick, a senior from Grand Forks, N.D., won the javelin with an automatic-qualifying throw of 66.45 meters and finished 10th in the hammer throw with a toss of 46.66 meters at the Division II Challenge in Emporia, Kan.

Others nominated: Track Male: Josh LeBlanc, North Dakota; Gabe Udia, St. Cloud State. Track Female: Heidi Evans, North Dakota. Field Male: J. Field Female: Sarah Fegley, North Dakota; Lindsey Schultz, Augustana.