Index of Sports Press Releases

April 15, 2008

Thompson leads Tigers with win in high jump
The Daily Republic

WAYNE, Neb. — The Dakota Wesleyan University track and field team competed at the Wayne State Sunshine Invite Tuesday, and Tigers’ head coach Pat Belling was pleased with the results.

In a field that included the host school, the University of South Dakota and a handful of Great Plains Athletic Conference teams, Belling was happy to see how his team compared early in the outdoor season.

“It’s important that we have meets like this,” Belling said. “We get to see USD and Wayne State, but we can see also some GPAC schools and see how we stack up. It really, really went well for us. I’m really pleased.”

Frank Thompson

Freshman turned in the Tigers’ top finish by winning the high jump by clearing 6-foot-6. Belling was happy to see Thompson return to the form he showed in the indoor season.

“He finally got back on track and jumped 6-6,” Belling said. “He won the meet and he punched his ticket to nationals in St. Louis, so he’s good to go.

“He was still in indoors (at nationals), so he started over (with outdoors) later than everyone else. He’s finally starting to get back to where he was. He’s pretty talented.”

Other top finishes for the DWU men were: Isaac VanDyke, third place, 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:01.60); Layne Scheveck, third place, 400-meter hurdles (57.51); and Thomas Madut, fifth place, 1,500-meter run (4:15.51). The teams’ 4x400-meter relay team also finished fourth with a time of 3:27.21.

“Isaac VanDyke ran 10:01 and that’s a PR for him,” Belling said. “His time puts him in the top five in the GPAC. He ran a really, really good race.

“Layne ran well, Thomas ran well. And then our 4x4 ran 3:27 and I’m not too positive, but I think that’s one of the faster times Dakota Wesleyan’s had in a long time. That’s one of the things I’m most pumped about.”

On the women’s side, Brittany Ulmer proved she’s recovered from an injury at the indoor national meet. She finished fifth in the long jump with a distance of 16-02.50. Steph Leist also turned in a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (13.33) and Belling was pleased with Kaitlyn Flesner’s performance in the discus (11th place, 100-03).

“Steph Leist ran really, really well,” Belling said. “Ulmer did the same thing. She can hang with those girls (at the top) so it was good for her to get back up in the top eight.

“I also look at Kaitlyn — our freshman discus thrower — she really competed well. She’s happy with her performance.”

The Tigers are back in action Friday and Saturday at the Sioux City Relays in Sioux City, Iowa.