Distance Athletes Kick Start The 2013 Season

MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/26/13)—Concordia kicked off the 2013 indoor track and field season by hosting the Cobber Open on Saturday. In the end, the beginning of the indoor season looked a lot like the finish of the cross country campaign as the CC distance corps posted the best finishes of any Cobbers.

The Concordia middle distance and distance athletes recorded seven different top 5 finishes in the five races from the 800 meters through the 5k. Junior Hannah Knickerbocker, the team's top finisher at the MIAC cross country meet in the fall, won the 5000 meters in a time of 18:55.46. That mark is better than any CC athlete from all of last season. Knickerbocker was one of three Concordia runners to finish in the top 5 in the 5k. Kathryn Stalnaker was third at 19:30.57 and Nicole Woinarowicz was fourth in 19:31.37.

Suzanne McConn and Liz Hanson claimed fifth-place finishes in the two other distance events. McConn placed fifth in the 3000 meters in a final time 12:21.03 and Hanson was fifth in the mile with a mark of 5:40.99.

The middle distance group was led by Callie Christianson and Morgan Christian. Both runners earned third-place finishes. Christianson was third in the 800 meters with a time of 2:31.50 and Christian was third in the 1000 meters at 3:09.33. Christian's time is almost two seconds faster than her season best from 2012.

The Concordia field athletes had a wide range of results and were led by Chelsea Klemetson who placed third in the high jump and ninth in the long jump. Klemetson cleared 5-02.25 in the high jump and tied for the top height but was placed third because of misses at lower heights. Kelemetson also made the finals in the long jump and had her best jump in the finals when she posted 15-01.50.

The other top 3 finish for CC in the field events came from sophomore Cherae Reeves who was third in the shot put. Reeves had a heave of 41-04.25 in the prelims and was one of only three athletes in the meet to surpass the 40-foot mark. Her distance in the opening meet is better than any of her marks during the 2012 season.

Senior All-American Kaari Jensen started her 2013 season by finishing second in the pentathlon on Friday. Jensen completed the five events with a total of 2,693 points. Teammate Samantha Risan was fourth with a total of 1,926 points.

Concordia will have the luxury of staying at home next weekend when they host the annual Cobber Duals Meet on Saturday, Feb. 2 beginning at noon.     

COBBER NOTABLES:
Cobber Open Meet
Concordia College, Moorhead
January 25, 2013

COBBER ALL-TIME TOP 10:
5000 Meters – Hannah Knickerbocker – 18:55.46 – Top 10-#8