Keene State Women Finish Fourth at NCAA Championships

OSHKOSH, WI.  5/24/08 - The Keene State women are returning from the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a trophy for the first time.

The Owls tallied 29 points among the 80 teams that scored at the meet.  Wisconsin-River Falls and Illinois Wesleyan tied for first place with 35 points.  Wartburg College of Iowa was second with 34 points.

"I'm very pleased," said KSC Coach Peter Thomas.  "Finishing fourth with just three competitors is an awesome accomplishment."

Ten of the points came from senior Crystal Blamy's national championship in the high jump on Friday. Fellow senior Jennifer Adams accounted for 13 points.

KSC finished fourth at the indoor championships in 2006 and this past winter.

On Saturday, Adams closed the curtain on her outstanding Owl career by finishing third in the highly-contested 5,000-meter race.  The standout senior from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. posted a time of 16:54.79.  Becca Jordahl, a freshman from Wisconsin-River Falls won the race with a time of 16:52.49.  Tufts senior Catherine Beck was second (16:54.54).

"Jenn gave a full effort, but her legs were a little tired from running the 10K on Thursday," said Thomas, about Adams, who entered the race seeded first.

Adams, who placed second in the 10K, wraps ups her KSC career with a combined 10 All-Americas and two national championships.

"I just didn't have enough at the finish.  That was the case in both of my races,"said Adams.  "But overall I'm pleased, getting 10 All-Americas was one of my goals."

Samantha Hirsh, a junior from Holliston, Mass. finished fourth in the javelin with a throw of 147 feet.  She got her first All-America on her first throw of the day. "Sam was very excited about earning All-America, said Thomas. 

"I had a good warm-up with Coach Jerry Jasinski and then just let it rip," said Hirsh.  "I knew when it left my hand it was a good thow."

Hirsh was competing at the NCAA championships for the first time since her freshman year, when she injured her knee at the national meet.

"I was more confident, more mature, and much stronger this time around," said Hirsh.  "I had a good feeling I could do it."

Lisa Brown, a junior from Gustavus Adolphus won the event with a Division III season best and J.J. Keller Fielder and US Olympic trial qualifying mark of 174'-5."

KSC underclassmen came up short in their bid to earn All-America honors at the championships. Competing in the finals of the 1,500-meter race on Saturday, Craig MacPherson, a Derry, N.H., native, placed 10th with a time of 3:57.95.  "Craig gave it a good effort, but he just didn't have it today." said Thomas.

Andy Hodge, a senior from Wartburg won the race with a DIII season best time of 3:46.89.

Earlier, sophomore Frank Radlof of Milford, (long jump) and freshman Bryan Kolacz of Brentwood, N.H. (hammer) failed to qualify for the finals in the their respective events.