Another Tommie-Johnnie battle
is likely in race for men's title

By GENE McGIVERN
St. Thomas Sports Information Director

ST. PAUL, Minn. — For 20 of the last 22 seasons, either St. John's or St. Thomas has claimed the MIAC men's cross country team championship.

The Johnnies have reigned the last four years, but St. Thomas appears to have an excellent chance of ending the SJU streak and winning the Tommies' first championship since 1993. St. Thomas, ranked seventh nationally, hasn't gone head-to-head against No. 20-ranked St. John's yet this fall.

But while St. John's has only one returning All-MIAC runner (senior Nick Thoemke), Tommie coach Pete Wareham has five: junior Nick Maddox was sixth here and 67th at nationals in 1999; senior Dan Draine was fifth here and 100th at nationals in 1999; senior Ryan Kollmann, an NCAA indoor 5,000-meter runner-up in 2000 and a four-time track All-American, was eighth here in 1999. In the last three CC nationals, he's placed 36th, 58th and 101st. He's trying to join an elite group of four-time All-MIAC finishers after taking 11th, fifth and eighth the last three seasons; sophomore Brian Preus was 11th here in 1999 and 108th at nationals; and senior Rick Chapko was 13th here in 1999 and 84th at nationals.

St. John's coach Tim Miles' team graduated four of its top five runners from a seventh place NCAA finisher. The Johnnies return three runners from their 1999 top seven — Thoemke (15th here in 1998 and seventh here in 1999); junior Andy Keenan and senior Todd Larson (120th at nationals in 1999).

Also gunning for top-three team finishers are Hamline and St. Olaf. Hamline had a strong pack at LaCrosse, led by soph Tom Kreger. Coach Paul Schmaedeke's Piper team, which has only one senior, had a 52-second split for its top seven. Under Coach Bill Thornton, St. Olaf has four sophomores in its top seven, and had a solid 37-second split for its top seven at
LaCrosse.

Individually, two-time MIAC champion John Krueger of St. John's has graduated, and it could be a wide open race today. Maddox won his first college race for St. Thomas Oct. 14 as he took first in the eight-team St. Lawrence (N.Y.) Invite. Besides the top Tommie and Johnnie runners, look for top-10 bids from Hamline's Kreger and Eric Stafford; Carleton's Paul
Anderson and Andy Sherman, and Augsburg's Eric Bloemendal.

IN THE WOMEN'S MEET, St. Olaf appears poised to win a three straight MIAC title.

The 2000 Oles have picked up right where the 1999 team left off. Coach Chris Daymont's St. Olaf team took fourth nationally last November —just eight points out of third place — after repeating as MIAC champions.

The Oles, ranked fourth again in Division III in this week's poll, are clear favorites to win the MIAC team championship for the third year in a row and sixth time in eight seasons.

Leading the Oles are four past All-MIAC honorees: sophomore Megan Daymont took third here in 1999 as a freshman and went on to take 36th place at the NCAA Division III Championships; senior Katie Milbrett was 10th here and 78th at nationals in 1999; senior Anne Sateren was 12th here in 1999 and sixth here in 1998 and 86th at nationals in 1999; and senior Suzanne DePaulo was 13th here in 1998, 17th in 1999, and went on to take 118th at 1999 nationals.

St. Olaf edged Macalester for first here in 1998 (50-61), and in 1999 topped the Scots and St. Thomas (46-69-70). Macalester and St. Thomas graduated most of their lead contingents, though, and Concordia looks like the team with the best chance to push the Oles in 2000.

Cobber coach Marv Roeske has three All-MIAC runners returning — seniors Heidi Brenden (4th in 1998) and Heather Brenden (8th in 1999), and sophomore Katie Martin (13th in 1999).

In the 5,000-meter individual race, St. Thomas has had the MIAC individual champion five of the last six years. UST's two-time champion Heather Phillips (1996, 1999 winner) has graduated, but Tommie junior Kelly Faris (the 1997 champion) will try to add to her school's gold medal count. Faris and Macalester fifth-year senior Liz Connors appear to be the two runners to beat, but don't count out the St. Olaf and Concordia lead runners. Faris was ninth here in 1999 and 45th at nationals. At the Oct. 14 LaCrosse meet, Faris ran 18:18 for fifth and topped Connors by 13 seconds. Three weeks earlier at the U of M race, Connors beat Faris by eight seconds. Connors was third here in 1998 and in 1999 took fifth here and 42nd at nationals.