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| Upcoming Events: Fri-Sat., March 9-10: SMU at NCAA Indoor Championships, Terre Haute, Ind. |
isn't enough for Cardinals' Luehmann, Weinmann
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A four-year letterwinner — not to mention a three-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection — Luehmann closed out her stellar four-year collegiate career as the No. 4 career scorer in Saint Mary's University women's basketball history. The SMU senior also ranked No. 1 in career 3-pointers and 3-pointers attempted.
The name "Luehmann" isn't just reserved for the Cardinal women's basketball record books, however, as the SMU senior's name can also be found in several places in the SMU track and field record books.
And this weekend, Luehmann is hoping to join an even more elite group of Cardinal athletes.
All-Americans.
"It's long been a dream of mine to be an All-American — there's no doubt that is my goal," said Luehmann, who is making her second NCAA national championships appearance this weekend at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. — and is coming off a conference shot put title-clinching performance at the MIAC Indoor Championships. "I am honored to be representing Saint Mary's at the national championships. This is the big dance, and I have been waiting for this a long time.
"Hopefully, all of my hard work will pay off and my dream of being an All-American will come true."
And, hopefully, that dream will be realized twice — or maybe even three times.
After all, Luehmann isn't the only SMU athlete competing at this year's NCAA Championships.
In fact, she isn't even the only SMU athlete competing in the Championships' shot put event.
If Luehmann is going to achieve her goal of earning All-American status, she's not only going to have to beat some of the best shot putters in the nation, but she's also going to have to beat teammate Amanda Weinmann (Rochester, Minn.).
Weinmann, who is making her third national championships appearance — and is already the owner of an eighth-place outdoor shot put finish, and the All-American tag that goes with it — qualified for this year's indoor nationals in both the shot put and the weight throw.
"I am honored just to be invited to nationals — that will never lose its significance," said Weinmann, who won the MIAC's weight throw competition with a school-record throw of 16.71 meters — the fifth-best throw in Division III this season — and placed second to Luehmann in the MIAC shot put. "No incentive is greater than being able to prove myself among the best in the nation, and my ultimate goal is to come away as an All-American."
Having two national-caliber throwers is a rarity, according to coach Kirk Nauman — but he wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's healthy competition between the two," said Nauman, noting that Luehmann and Weinmann represent three of the MIAC's 10 national championship entries. "They are both bright, mature individuals. They are friends away from the track, but once the competition starts, they know what they have to do, and they are focused on doing it to the best of their abilities."
Luehmann and Weinmann agree.
"It's great having a teammate like Amanda," said Luehmann. "She pushes me to strive to be better. As competitive as we both are, we also want the other to succeed."
"Sure, we are competitors, but we friends first," Weinmann added. "When one of us does well, it's a testament to the other. Ever since high school, I have respected Ashley as a great thrower, and I am grateful to have her as a teammate to push and support me."
And, if everything falls into place this weekend, the SMU duo will not only call each other friends and teammates — but All-Americans as well.