The beat goes on
Wesleyan, Doane seek more GPAC track titles
Posted: Saturday, May 03, 2008
Heard that old sports cliche about too many teams thinking they only had to show up to win -- only to take a mighty tumble from grace?
As far as Great Plains Athletic Conference track and field is concerned the cliche is spot on.
In the 2008 GPAC outdoor championships today at Elwood Olsen Stadium, the men's and women's teams from Nebraska Wesleyan and Doane have only to show up to finish either first or second.
Oh, sure, Wesleyan and Doane athletes will have to run, jump, throw and hurdle to prove themselves, those endeavors are merely formalities.
The Nebraska Wesleyan men will be seeking their 19th straight conference title and the Doane women their 10th in a row.
The streaks date back to days when the GPAC was known first as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and then the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference before the league, now expanded to 13 schools from an original six charter members, was renamed the GPAC.
The Doane women have also won 17 of the last 18 conference meets in which they've particpated. Wesleyan's men's streak began in 1989 when they shared the NIAC crown with Hastings.
The meet gets under way today at high noon. Wet and windy conditions may prevail, but sunny skies are also predicted. The meet will run non-stop through the final event (men's 4x400 relay) at 7:55.
"Doane and Nebraska Wesleyan again have strong teams and they'll battle it out for both the men's and women's titles,'' said Morningside Coach Dave Nash. "But, there'll be dogfights for third and fourth and fiffh and sixth, too.
"We're hoping to finish as high as fourth or fifth in each division and we'll take a lot of pride in that. We're trying to build our programs, but you can't get to the Doane and Nebraska Wesleyan level in one or two years.
"It's taking time, but we're making strides. We want to do this the right way.
"I've pretty much mapped out the points, but I don't even figure Doane and Wesleyan in there. For the rest of us, it's a battle for third at best.''
Nebraska preserved its long men's streak last year by the slender margin of 1.5 points -- 213.5 to 212. In the final 100 meters of the last event, the 4x400 relay, Doane was leading, but the Hastings anchor caught the Tiger anchor and NWU wound up third in the race.
A Doane victory in the relay would have produced a team title.
Doane could very well turn the tables today, however, led by standout sprinters Paulvince Obuon and Californian Dai're D'Artagnan.
Morningside's best hopes for individual titles rest with high jumper Ryan Gass and javelin thrower Brad South on the men's side and Vanessa Warzecha in the women's javelin. Warzecha is the qualkfying leader with a throw of 137 feet, 8 inches.
South, from Council Bluffs, ranks third nationally with a toss of 205-8 and was fifth in the national NAIA outdoor last year.
Gass, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., is the GPAC indoor high jump champ and is the leader outdoors with a leap of 6 feet, 9.75 inches.
Doane's women's team, featuring awesome depth, nearly doubled the points on Nebraska Wesleyan a year ago, 259 to 137. The M'side women were sixth last year and the men also sixth, one notch ahead of Northwestern, which passed up the Sioux City Relays this year to compete in the Doane Relays in Crete, Neb.
Two of the premier peformers in the women's divisions are Siouxlanders Jen Kempers of Dordt and Olivia Johnson of Northwestern. Kempers, from Sioux Center, ranks second nationally the steeplechase after winning the national event as a sophomore and taking second last year.
Johnson, third in the NAIA national indoor 800 meters, is a freshman from Milford (Okobji High School) with a best outdoor time of 2:14.55. Another Northwestern distance star, Charity Miles, is a doubtful performer because of injuries.
As far as Great Plains Athletic Conference track and field is concerned the cliche is spot on.
In the 2008 GPAC outdoor championships today at Elwood Olsen Stadium, the men's and women's teams from Nebraska Wesleyan and Doane have only to show up to finish either first or second.
Oh, sure, Wesleyan and Doane athletes will have to run, jump, throw and hurdle to prove themselves, those endeavors are merely formalities.
The Nebraska Wesleyan men will be seeking their 19th straight conference title and the Doane women their 10th in a row.
The streaks date back to days when the GPAC was known first as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and then the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference before the league, now expanded to 13 schools from an original six charter members, was renamed the GPAC.
The Doane women have also won 17 of the last 18 conference meets in which they've particpated. Wesleyan's men's streak began in 1989 when they shared the NIAC crown with Hastings.
The meet gets under way today at high noon. Wet and windy conditions may prevail, but sunny skies are also predicted. The meet will run non-stop through the final event (men's 4x400 relay) at 7:55.
"Doane and Nebraska Wesleyan again have strong teams and they'll battle it out for both the men's and women's titles,'' said Morningside Coach Dave Nash. "But, there'll be dogfights for third and fourth and fiffh and sixth, too.
"We're hoping to finish as high as fourth or fifth in each division and we'll take a lot of pride in that. We're trying to build our programs, but you can't get to the Doane and Nebraska Wesleyan level in one or two years.
"It's taking time, but we're making strides. We want to do this the right way.
"I've pretty much mapped out the points, but I don't even figure Doane and Wesleyan in there. For the rest of us, it's a battle for third at best.''
Nebraska preserved its long men's streak last year by the slender margin of 1.5 points -- 213.5 to 212. In the final 100 meters of the last event, the 4x400 relay, Doane was leading, but the Hastings anchor caught the Tiger anchor and NWU wound up third in the race.
A Doane victory in the relay would have produced a team title.
Doane could very well turn the tables today, however, led by standout sprinters Paulvince Obuon and Californian Dai're D'Artagnan.
Morningside's best hopes for individual titles rest with high jumper Ryan Gass and javelin thrower Brad South on the men's side and Vanessa Warzecha in the women's javelin. Warzecha is the qualkfying leader with a throw of 137 feet, 8 inches.
South, from Council Bluffs, ranks third nationally with a toss of 205-8 and was fifth in the national NAIA outdoor last year.
Gass, a freshman from Valentine, Neb., is the GPAC indoor high jump champ and is the leader outdoors with a leap of 6 feet, 9.75 inches.
Doane's women's team, featuring awesome depth, nearly doubled the points on Nebraska Wesleyan a year ago, 259 to 137. The M'side women were sixth last year and the men also sixth, one notch ahead of Northwestern, which passed up the Sioux City Relays this year to compete in the Doane Relays in Crete, Neb.
Two of the premier peformers in the women's divisions are Siouxlanders Jen Kempers of Dordt and Olivia Johnson of Northwestern. Kempers, from Sioux Center, ranks second nationally the steeplechase after winning the national event as a sophomore and taking second last year.
Johnson, third in the NAIA national indoor 800 meters, is a freshman from Milford (Okobji High School) with a best outdoor time of 2:14.55. Another Northwestern distance star, Charity Miles, is a doubtful performer because of injuries.
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