Simpsonian

Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Sports

Sophomore Stacey Bonertz qualified nationally in the weight throw. Sara Westphal/Staff Photographer

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Track Meet took place the weekend of March 1 producing some exciting results for the Simpson team as well as individual Storm athletes, according to Dave Cleveland, head track and field coach.

"It's exciting to have so much success with a young squad," Cleveland said. "As a coaching staff, we have seen the team come together over the last year and show great promise."

Cleveland guided the women's team to a second place finish and the men to fourth at the conference indoor meet, both up four spots from their respective finishes last year.

As for individual performances, Cleveland saw four sophomore athletes qualify provisionally for the national indoor meet March 14-15 in Ada, Ohio.

On the women's side, Stacy Bonertz qualified in the weight throw and Lauren Bucklin did so in the 55 meter hurdles. Freshmen Catie Ellingson also provisionally qualified in the 800 with a school-record time of 2:14.35 at the Iowa State Last Chance Meet on March 8.

Eric Patten qualified in the 800 meter run and Marty Rounds also qualified in the 55 meter hurdles for the men.

To qualify provisionally for a national meet, an athlete must run a specific time or make a specific distance that meets the provisional mark. These athletes are put on a list of provisional qualifiers. However, they still may not run at the national meet because they have not met the automatic mark, which is a time or distance that is a little bit better. When the meet does not have enough automatic qualifiers, it will draw from the top marks on the provisional list.

Qualifications or not, Patten likes what he sees from his teammates.

"The track program is moving in the right direction," Patten said. "We are all making improvements individually and as a team."

Rounds agrees with Patten, emphasizing the magnitude of the conference finishes.

"This is a big deal for us," Rounds said. "A lot of people have stepped up and are competing."

For Rounds, qualifying was a product of hours of hard work.

"The goal is to push yourself as far as you can go," Rounds said. "I've always dreamed of running in the national meet."

As for Patten, qualifying came while focusing on the bigger picture.

Continued...

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