Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: May 9, 2007

MIAC Meet Preview :

MIAC Meet Preview: MIAC Meet Preview

Cobber MIAC Meet Preview:

MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/09/07)-- The 2007 Concordia men’s outdoor track and field team will have a great chance to break the string of eighth-place finishes they have been stuck in the last two seasons at the conference meet. The Cobbers have had several outstanding individual performances in 2007 and boast the top-ranked 4x800 relay team in conference heading into the championship meet.

The top two conference-ranked individual athletes for Garrick Larson’s squad are sophomore Tom Flynn (Shelby, Mont.) and senior Dave Pettit. Flynn is currently ranked second in the javelin. The 2006 MIAC All-Conference performer has a season-best of 170-0, which he recorded at the Al Cassell Relays on Apr. 28. Pettit came up with a height of 6-2 in the Bison Relays and is also ranked second in the conference.

The Cobbers could have several other field athletes score points at the MIAC Meet. Billy Oehlers (So., North Branch, Minn.) is ranked sixth in the shot put (46-11.50). Preston Lyles (So., Billings, Mont.) and Nick Birchem (So., Lisbon, N.D.) are in the top ten in the discus and freshmen Nick Meseck (Fr., Madison, Minn./Lac Qui Parle Valley HS) and Jason Sather (Fr., Plymouth, Minn./Armstrong HS) are two of the top athletes in the jump competitions.

Sather is also one of the team’s leaders in the track events. He is one of the few successful sprint athletes Concordia has had in recent years. He currently ranks 10th in the 100 meter dash. The top ranked track athlete is Josh Haddeland (Jr., Waubun, Minn.). Haddeland is ranked eighth in the 200 meters and seventh in the 400 meters. Paul Westmark (So., Appleton, Wis.) will also be looking to post a pair of top ten finishes. He currently is ranked in the top nine in the conference in both the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. On of the biggest surprises for the team this season has been junior Rocky Jantzen (Wadena, Minn./Wadena-Deer Creek HS) who is ranked 11th in the 3000-meter steeplechase after just taking up the event this spring. His steady improvement could land him in the top 10 come conference meet time.

The Cobber middle distance relay teams will be hoping to shine at the conference meet. The 4x800-meter relay team has the top time in the conference entering the meet. They ran an 8:12.48 at the Kansas Relays. The always consistent 4x400-meter relay team is ranked fifth in the conference and will be looking to post their season-best time at St. John’s.