Earning their first title at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in school history, Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls tied for the national crown Saturday (May 24) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh, Wis. The Titans and Falcons both finished with 35 points.

Illinois Wesleyan, which also won the NCAA Division III indoor title in March, scored all 35 of its points in Saturday’s final day of competition. Senior Rachel Anderson led the way for the Titans as she swept the 200 (24.76) and 400-meter (54.35) dashes to score 20 points. Sophomore Ali McCoy was third in the 200-meter dash (24.88) to add six points to the team total.

The Titans scored their final nine points in the two relays. The 400-meter relay of McCoy, sophomore Amanda LaRocca, sophomore Alexandria Sawyer and Anderson were third overall (46.62) to earn six points while the 1,600-meter relay of McCoy, sophomore Mackenzie Clemens, senior Brooke Halcott and Anderson placed sixth (3:47.81) to pick up three points.

Anderson was selected the NCAA Division III Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet.

Behind freshman Becca Jordahl’s win in the 5,000-meter run (10 points) and third-place showing (six points) in the 10,000-meter run, UW-River Falls recorded its first top-five finish in school history at the outdoor national meet. Jordahl ran 16:52.49 in the 5,000 and 35:48.01 in the 10,000.

The Falcons also had two student-athletes score in the shot put Saturday. Senior Vicki Cooper earned six points with her third-place finish (46-3 1/4) and senior Krista Hasselquist picked up four points with her fifth-place showing (45-7 1/4).

Cooper also scored five points in the discus throw as she placed fourth overall (153-9). Senior Shannon Zweifel was fifth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.85) for the Falcons to score four team points.

Wartburg College (Iowa) placed third in the team standings with 34 points while Keene State College (N.H.) was fourth with 29 and Roanoke College (Va.) fifth with 27.

McMurry University (Texas) was sixth with 25 points while UW-Platteville and UW-Oshkosh tied for seventh with 24. The University of Redlands (Calif.) was ninth with 23 points while Texas Lutheran University, Messiah College (Pa.) and the University of Chicago (Ill.) tied for 10th with 21 points. A total of 83 teams scored points.

Other event winners included UW-Platteville senior Marcia Taddy and University of Redlands (Calif.) senior Natalie Calderon capturing two events each. Taddy won the 800 (2:08.23) and 1,500 (4:23.36) meter runs while Calderon took the triple (40-10 1/4) and long (19-11) jumps. For her efforts, Calderon was selected the Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet.

Senior Amy Reed of Messiah College (Pa.) won the heptathlon with 5,111 points.

On the track, sophomore Sumer Rohrs of Frostburg State University (Md.) won the 100-meter hurdles (13.68), senior Sarah Wittingen of Calvin College (Mich.) the 400-meter hurdles (59.39), senior Jordyann Raymond of the City College of New York won the 100-meter dash (11.84), senior Esther Erb of Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) won the 10,000-meter run (35:45.01) and senior Caitlin Bradley of Dickinson College (Pa.) took the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:22.60). Texas Lutheran University won the 400-meter relay (46.42) while Wartburg College (Iowa) won the 1,600 meter relay (3:45.72).

Field event winners included senior Lauren Lucci of Widener University (Pa.) in the shot put (47-4 1/4), junior Lisa Brown of Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in the javelin throw (174-5), sophomore Dana Thompson of UW-Whitewater in the discus (161-8), senior Terri Schwamb of UW-Oshkosh in the hammer (191-1), senior Crystal Blamy of Keene State College (N.H.) in the high jump (5-7) and freshman Holly Rollins of McMurry University (Texas) in the pole vault (12-10 1/4).

In Saturday’s action, Rohrs of Frostburg State University (Md.) captured the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.68. Senior Liz Faller of UW-Eau Claire was second (13.98) and senior Holly Andrews of Nebraska Wesleyan University third (14.10). Andrews was eighth in the 100-meter hurdles last season.

After placing third a year ago, the Texas Lutheran University 400-meter relay took first with a NCAA Division III season-best time of 46.42. Roanoke College (Va.) was second for the second straight season at 46.54 and Illinois Wesleyan University third at 46.62.

Lucci took home the shot put title with a winning mark of 47-4 1/4. University of Chicago (Ill.) sophomore Nicole Murphy was second (46-8) and UW-River Falls senior Vicki Cooper placed third (46-3 1/4). Cooper was seventh last season.

Taddy earned her fourth career NCAA All-America honor and second straight national title in the 1,500-meter run with a J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium record time of 4:23.36. She broke her own facility record set last season. Taddy was sixth in 2005 and 2006. Senior Catherine Beck of Tufts University (Mass.) placed second at 4:24.97 while sophomore Marie Borner of Bethel University (Minn.) was third with a time of 4:27.52. Beck was fourth a year ago.

Taddy captured her second national title of the meet by winning the 800-meter run in a facility-record time of 2:08.23. It was her third career All-America honor in the event, also winning in 2005 while placing sixth in 2007. The College of New Jersey junior Stephanie Herrick was second at 2:08.42 while Haverford College (Pa.) senior Annick Lamar placed third (2:09.27). Both earned All-America awards for the second consecutive year after Herrick finished fifth and Lamar seventh last season.

Raymond took the 100-meter dash championship with a time of 11.84. She earned All-America honors a year ago with a fifth-place finish. Senior Lauren Deas of Cabrini College (Pa.) was second (11.85) and junior Ebony Barnes of New Jersey City University third (11.94). Deas (fourth in 2007) and Barnes (eighth) also repeated in earning All-America accolades.

After a second-place showing in 2007, Illinois Wesleyan University ’s Anderson wasn’t going to be denied the title in this year’s 400-meter dash final. She broke her own facility record with a winning time of 54.35. The time is also a NCAA Division III season-best. Wartburg College (Iowa) sophomore Hannah Baker was second (54.40) and The College of New Jersey senior Jessica Bonelli placed third (55.61). Bonelli was seventh last season.

Anderson continued her success as she earned the victory in the 200-meter dash. After placing sixth last season, Anderson won this year’s title with a time of 24.76. Sophomore Robin Yerkes of Roanoke College (Va.) was second (24.87) and Anderson’s teammate sophomore Ali McCoy placed third (24.88). Yerkes was fifth in 2007.

Wittingen earned her national title in the 400-meter hurdles with a J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium record time of 59.39. Her time was also a NCAA Division III season-best. Wittingen placed second last season. Sophomore Sumer Rohrs, who captured the 100-meter hurdles, was second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.71. Pacific Lutheran University (Wash.) junior Faven Araya was third at 1:01.21.

Calderon won the triple jump with a mark of 40-10 1/4. She placed fourth a year ago. State University of New York-Brockport junior Shannon O’Keeffe was second at 39-4 1/2 while Springfield College (Mass.) sophomore Nikki Hay was third at 39-3 3/4. Hay finished sixth last year.

The top-three finishers in the javelin throw earned All-America honors for the second straight year. Brown captured the national title with a facility record and NCAA Division III season-best throw of 174-5. Brown, who placed second, last year, also met the U.S. Olympic Trials qualification standards with her winning performance. Wheaton College (Ill.) junior Brandi McNeil finished second (162-4) while Messiah College (Pa.) senior Amy Reed was third (148-4). McNeil was fifth and Reed fourth in 2007.

UW-River Falls’ Jordahl won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:52.49 while Tufts University (Mass.) senior Catherine Beck was second (16:54.54) and Keene State College senior Jennifer Adams finished third (16:54.79). Beck (sixth) and Adams (third) both earned All-America honors last season.

Wartburg College (Iowa) defended its national title in the 1,600-meter relay with an NCAA Division III season-best time of 3:45.72. Texas Lutheran University placed second (3:45.87) and Wheaton College (Mass.) third (3:46.31). Texas Lutheran was seventh and Wheaton sixth last season.