3/9/07With the fastest time ever run in NCAA Division III history, the UW-Platteville women's distance medley relay team won the NCAA III national championship Friday at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind.
The UWP team of Emma Dreis (1,200 meters), Bobbi Arand (400), Jessica Scott (800) and Marcia Taddy (1,600) won the race in 11:34.46, becoming the first Pioneer female relay team to ever win a national championship. Only Taddy (800 meters in 2005 outdoors and mile run in 2006 indoors) had previously claimed national championships. Scott and Taddy were part of last year's DMR team that placed second.
The 2007 Pioneer quartet had the fastest qualifying time ever heading into the championship at 11:40.45, but just ahead of the Tufts' team that came in at 11:41.48.
True to the seeds, the race came down to those two schools, with the Pioneers winning by an almost identical margin, 1.08 seconds.
The UW-Platteville team beat the previous DIII meet record of 11:41.66, set by Wartburg during the 2005 championships.
Taddy, who earned both the regional and the national NCAA III Indoor Athlete of the Year Awards at Thursday's banquet, will continue her quest for more gold Saturday when she competes in the 800 and mile runs. She had the top times in each event coming into the national meet.
Tyler Sigl (5,000 meter run) and Tony Fontanini (pole vault) will also compete Saturday. Dreis just missed making the mile finals, finishing one spot out during Friday's trials.
NCAA III Distance Medley Relay
1 Wisconsin Platteville (Emma Dreis, Bobbi Arand, Jessica Scott, Marcia Taddy) 11:34.46
2 Tufts University (Sarah Crispin, Kaleigh Fitzpatrick, Katy O'Brien, Catherine Beck) 11:35.54
3 Amherst College (Caitlin McDermott-Murph, Carly Levenson, Maria Millard, Shauneen Garrahan) 11:44.91
4 North Central College (Jessica Griffin, Jennifer Bach, Elizabeth Pearson, Amber Druien) 11:47.21
5 Williams College (Lissy Robie, Emily Heaslip, Katie Howard, Olga Kondratjeva) 11:53.38
6 Wisconsin La Crosse (Meagan Herlache, Maggie Leyendecker, Beth Richmond, Kristen Painter) 11:54.33
7 Geneseo S U N Y (Meghan Nolan, Diana Snyder, Carly Kramer, Liz Montgomery) 11:55.96
8 Bates College (Katie Bash, Izzy Alexander, Jen Caban, Kathryn Moore) 12:03.29
9 Bowdoin College (Alison Chase, Haley MacKeil, Laura Onderko, Lindsey Schickner) 12:11.38
10 Wartburg College (Jennifer KuiKen, Rachel Brincks, Heidi Porter, Amanda Kuiken) 12:24.64
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