Record-Setting Six Athletes Headed To National Meet
MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/20/13)—Concordia will send a record-setting six athletes to the NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Meet it was announced on Monday.
Hillary Birchem, Kaari Jensen, Olivia Johnson, Chelsea Klemetson, Cherae Reeves and Hilary Thompson will all compete at the national meet at UW-La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis. Starting on Thursday, May 23.
NCAA DIII National Outdoor Meet Website
The star-studded six qualifying for the NCAA Division III Meet represent the most individuals to qualify in individual events in program history and the Cobbers have more athletes qualify for individual events than any other school in the MIAC. Concordia has had six or more individuals qualify for the national meet in the past but several were a part of a relay team that qualified.
Birchem, Jensen, Klemetson and Thompson are all making their second straight appearance at the national outdoor meet as all four qualified in 2012 as well. while Jensen is making her second consecutive trip to the DIII Outdoor Meet. Jensen and Reeves will be making their second trip to a national meet in 2013 as both athletes have qualified for the DIII Indoor Meet earlier this year. Reeves earned All-American honors in the shot put at this year's national indoor meet while Jensen qualified in the pentathlon.
Jensen is coming off the best outdoor season of her career. She won the MIAC heptathlon for the second straight season and also won the conference javelin competition. All told, Jensen placed in the top 6 in five different events at the MIAC Meet. She was recently named the USTFCCCA Central Region Field Athlete for the second consecutive year and is currently ranked in the top 100 in the nation in seven different events.
Jensen will be competing in the heptathlon at the national meet. The heptathlon starts on Thursday, May 23 at 2 p.m.
Birchem qualified for the national meet in the discus at the Cobber Twilight Meet on Apr. 29. Her toss of 145-10.00 was the fourth best in school history. She is currently ranked 10th in the nation in the event heading into the national meet. Birchem earned all-conference honors at the MIAC Outdoor Meet by placing third in the discus. The national discus event will be held on Thursday, May 23 beginning at 2:15 p.m.
Johnson is participating in her very first national meet. The freshman qualified in the shot put at last week's UW-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier Meet. She came away with a mark of 45-10.75 which is the 10th farthest in the nation this season and third farthest in school history. Johnson finished third in the shot put at the MIAC Outdoor Meet two weeks ago. The national shot put event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m.
Klemetson waited until midnight to secure her ticket to the NCAA Meet. She cleared 5-06.00 in the high jump at last week's UW-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier Meet and climbed all the way to 17th place in the nation in the event. Her mark at the meet was a personal best and the third best in program history. Klemetson won the high jump at the MIAC Outdoor Meet as a freshman in 2012 and also participated in the 2012 national indoor meet. The DIII outdoor high jump will take place on Friday, May 24 at 2:15 p.m.
Reeves is looking to add to her indoor All-American honor in the shot put. She has had a breakout sophomore season which has seen her break the school records in both the indoor and outdoor shot put events. Her top toss in the outdoor season came at the Carleton Relays on Apr. 20 and the distance of 47-10.00 is the fourth best in the nation. Reeves was runner-up in both the indoor and outdoor conference shot put events this season. She will join Johnson for the national discus competition on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m.
Thompson is coming off the best meet of her career where she won both the long jump and triple jump at the MIAC Outdoor Championship Meet. She has qualified for the national meet in the triple jump with her winning mark at the conference meet. Thompson soared to 38-06.00 and won the MIAC title by over two inches. Her distance is tied for the 15th farthest in DIII this season. She will kick off her first-ever national meet on Saturday, May 25 at 3:20 p.m.