Day One Recap

BOSTON (Mar. 10) ­ Running what she described as the perfect race, Seattle Pacific University freshman Jessica Pixler coasted to victory in the mile at the NCAA Division II Indoor track & Field Championships Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) smashed her own SPU and Great Northwest Athletic Conference records by over 5 seconds, finishing in 4 minutes, 42.42 seconds.

"This was one of those races where everything goes right," said Pixler, the first Falcon runner to win an indoor title. "I've been working on going out easier in the first 800 (meters), and even with all the adrenalin, I was able to do that, so it was very exciting."

Pixler broke in front after 600 meters and then accelerated for the final 400. She won by a margin of 4.98 seconds over Naomi Fulton of Wisconsin Parkside.

"I was afraid someone might have a good 400, so I kicked," said Pixler. "I didn't realize how far ahead I was until I looked back after crossing the line."

Also in the mile, Karin Rohde (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Mt. Baker) ran fifth in 4:54.38, lifting her to No. 2 on the school's mile list.

The previous three SPU champions had been Karin Grelsson (twice in the triple jump) and high-jumper Danielle Ayers-Stamper. Including outdoor, Seattle Pacific has 22 women's champions.

Teona Perkins (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.) made the All-America team for the second year in a row, taking fourth in the high jump. Perkins succeeded on each of her first three jumps before missing at 5-9¼. Her best clearance was 5-8. She was sixth last year.

Seattle Pacific's 20 points and seventh-place finish was the second-highest for an indoor championship. Pixler and Rohde accounted for 15 points and also ran on Friday's medley relay which placed eighth.

Eddie Strickler (Sr., Richland, Wa.) 1:52.52 took eighth in the 800, becoming the first SPU male All-American since Mike Olson (shot put) in 1994. Adams States' Nick Lara won in 1:49.73.

                  2007 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships                   
                 Reggie Lewis Center  - 3/9/2007 to 3/10/2007                  
                                  Boston, MA                                   
                                Final Results

                        Women - Final Team Rankings
===============================================================================
    1) St Augustine's             105        2) Lincoln                    64   
    3) Grand Valley State          39.50     4) Abilene Christian          36   
    5) Adams State                 27        6) Southern Illinois- Edward  21   
    7) Seattle Pacific             20        8) Ashland                    19   
    8) Wisconsin-Parkside          19       10) Winona St                  16   
   10) Nebraska - Omaha            16       12) Minnesota St               14.50
   13) Cal St-LA                   13       14) Central Missouri           12   
   15) Bowie State                 11       15) Ferris State               11   
   15) Southern Connecticut State  11       18) Bemidji State              10   
   18) Massachusetts - Lowell      10       18) Pittsburg State            10   
   21) Fort Hays State              8       21) Missouri Southern           8   
   21) Minnesota-Duluth             8       21) North Carolina Central      8   
   21) Truman State                 8       26) Minnesota St - Moorhead     6.50
   27) Indianapolis                 6       27) Slippery Rock               6   
   27) Colorado School of Mines     6       27) Findlay                     6   
   31) Emporia State                5       32) Southern Indiana            4   
   32) St Cloud State               4       34) East Stroudsburg            3.50
   35) North Dakota                 3       36) Clarion                     2   
   36) Wayne State                  2       36) Western State               2   
   39) Saginaw Valley State         1       39) Lewis                       1   
   39) Colorado Springs             1       39) Alabama (Huntsville)        1  

                  2007 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships                   
                 Reggie Lewis Center  - 3/9/2007 to 3/10/2007                  
                                  Boston, MA                                   
                                 Final Results

                           Men - Final Team Rankings
===============================================================================
    1) St Augustine's              88        2) Abilene Christian          48.50
    3) North Carolina Central      43        4) Adams State                38   
    5) Lincoln                     36        5) Ashland                    36   
    7) Morehouse                   32        8) Grand Valley State         25   
    9) South Dakota                20       10) Cal St Stanislaus          17   
   11) Nebraska-Kearney            16.50    12) Minnesota St               16   
   12) Missouri-Rolla              16       14) Western State              15   
   15) Colorado School of Mines    12       16) Harding                     9   
   17) Missouri Southern            8       17) Stonehill                   8   
   17) Minnesota St - Moorhead      8       17) Indiana Univ of Pa          8   
   17) Western Washington           8       22) Pittsburg State             7.50
   23) Lewis                        6       24) Lock Haven                  5   
   24) Massachusetts - Lowell       5       24) Bryant                      5   
   24) Bemidji State                5       24) Northwest Missouri State    5   
   29) Central Washington           4       29) Shippensburg                4   
   29) Southern Illinois- Edwards   4       29) Central Missouri            4   
   33) Chadron State                3.50    34) Hillsdale                   3   
   34) Lake Superior State          3       36) Fort Hays State             2   
   36) Northern State               2       36) West Chester                2   
   36) Southern Indiana             2       40) Seattle Pacific             1   
   40) Truman State                 1       40) Southwest Baptist           1   
   40) Southern Connecticut State   1       40) West Virginia Wesleyan      1