St. Thomas’ track and field teams took first place in the MIAC indoor conference meet Saturday at St. Olaf. The men’s team made it 29-of-29 in MIAC indoor championships, while the women nabbed their 14th-straight title.

The men finished 90 points ahead of second-place St. Olaf. The women also outlasted the second-place Oles by 97 points.

Friday night, Eyo Ekpo won both the high jump (6-7) and the long jump (22-11 3-4). For sprinters, Joe Wistrcill took first in the 60-meter hurdles (5.527) and Doug Thoresen won the 400-meter race (49.94).  

Gavin Yseth won his second-consecutive heptathlon Friday. Bryan Thell (50-8 1-4) and Aba Omot (50-3 1-2) took first and second in the shot put.

Emily Van Heel lifted the women’s team with two first-place finishes Friday in the 400-meter race (58.58) and the triple jump (37-3 1-4). Taylor Berg won in the mile with 4:55.60. Kayla Goeman also topped the podium with her first-place finish in the 800-meter race (2:16.47).

Saturday featured more first place finishes. Ekpo took first in triple jump (47-6 1-2). Omot (56-4 3-4) and Thell (55-1) finished 1-2 in the weight throw. Thorsen continued his strong weekend, winning the 600-meter race (1:21.61).

Van Heel added victories the 200-meter dash and 4×400 relay for the women’s Saturday results. Berg added a victory in the 1,000-meter run (2:52.37), a facility record. Erin Statz won the 3,000-meter run (10:19.01).

Both Tommie teams hope for strong performances at the NCAA indoor championships March 8-9 in Naperville, Ill. Last year, the men’s team placed fifth in the NCAA meet. Ekpo took second in the triple jump and fourth in the high jump. The men’s team comes into the meet ranked 16th. Ekpo, Yseth and Maxwell Dunne. The women’s team is ranked 17th coming into the NCAA meet. Berg and Statz will compete in the 5,000-meter run. Angela Tipp, Erika Tipp, Emily Van Heel and Kayla Goeman will compete as the 4×400 relay. Statz, Van Heel, Goeman and Berg will also run the distance medley relay.

Yseth said he hopes the Tommies’ success in the MIAC championships will provide momentum heading into this weekend’s nationals.

“It gives me confidence,” Yseth said. “It kind of prepares you for what you’re going to see in nationals.”

Softball completes weekend sweeps

The No. 20 St. Thomas softball team moved to 4-0 on the season with back-to-back doubleheader sweeps of Buena Vista (Iowa) March 1 and St. Norbert (Wis.) March 3 at the Rosemount Dome.

The Tommies smacked 26 hits in game one against Buena Vista en route to a 9-1 victory. Pitcher Kristin Bigelbach allowed just three hits in three innings pitched. Shortstop Jenna Hoffman’s home run in her opening at-bat of the season put the Tommies ahead from the get-go.

“I’m not going to lie, (the home run) felt pretty good,” Hoffman said. “It was a high-inside-pitch … I kind of knew it was coming.”

The Tommies used a 4-run fourth inning to move past the Beavers 9-3 in game two. Pitcher Kendra Bowe pitched a complete game four-hitter, posting eight strikeouts. Catcher Emily Gregory blasted a three-run homer in the victory.

Sunday proved to be more of the same as St. Thomas dismantled St. Norbert 7-0 and 16-3. St. Thomas stroked 23 hits on the day in the non-conference matchups.

First baseman Erin Mussett went 4-5 on the day. St. Thomas used an 11-run third inning to clinch the game two victory. Bowe allowed one run in six innings of work while Bigelbach pitched three scoreless innings.

In its first four games, St. Thomas batted .445 with 49 hits.

The Tommies travel to Atlanta for the NFCA Leadoff Classic Friday.

Women’s tennis tops Division-II St. Cloud State, Macalester

The St. Thomas women’s tennis team kept its undefeated season alive with road victories over St. Cloud State and Macalester Saturday and Sunday.

The victories brought the Tommies to 2-0 in MIAC play and 6-0 on the season.

No. 4, 5 and 6 singles broke St. Cloud State to earn St. Thomas a 5-4 victory in Sartell, Minn., Saturday.

Kara Lefsrud won her matches at No. 4 singles (6-0, 6-1) and No. 2 doubles with partner Bridgett Novak (8-2).

Brittany Alexander also defeated St. Cloud State at No. 6 singles (6-2, 6-2) and No. 3 doubles with partner Claire Elkin (8-4).

All singles positions pulled out wins against Macalester, leading St. Thomas to an 8-1 victory.

Rachel Wright won easily at No. 5 singles (6-0, 6-0).

The doubles duo of Brittany Alexander and Claire Elkin defeated the Scots 8-1 at its No. 3 spot.

Mary Allen said that last weekend’s victories were a team effort.

“I think what we kind of learned from Saturday was that we can get five points from pretty much anyone on our lineup,” Allen said. “Our whole lineup is really strong and we have a lot of people contribute to wins.”

St. Thomas’ next match will be on the road against St. Olaf March 8. Lefsrud said the team is looking forward to proving itself against the Oles.

“We going to really want to come out strong because (the Oles) are going to be difficult competition for us in the MIAC this year,” Lefsrud said.

Men’s tennis edges Macalester, improves to 3-0

The men’s tennis team moved to 3-0 on the season with its 7-2 victory against Macalester Sunday.

Three of the nine matches were forced to the tiebreak, with St. Thomas winning one.

St. Thomas went undefeated in doubles play while Brian McCarthy, Allen-Michael Muench, Brendan O’Connell and Steven Skanse were victorious in singles action.

The Tommies play next March 9 at St. Olaf.

Football players shoot for the NFL

With hopes of making it to the NFL, center Curtis James and defensive lineman Ayo Idowu have made it to the second round of the University of Minnesota’s Gopher Pro Day.

James has been updating progress on Twitter, where he announced he was one of three offensive lineman to make the cut.