Mar. 10, 2008 – There will be 23 Truman Student-Athletes participating in NCAA Division II Championship events this week.  The Swimming & Diving Championships will be held in Columbia, Mo., the Indoor Track & Field Championships in Mankato, Minn. and the Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

 

Swimming – Link to Championship Site

 

The Truman women’s swimming team will try to recapture the National Championship in their own backyard.  Truman is sending 14 women’s swimmers to the title meet at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo. 

 

Sophomore Kate Aherne (Cary, Ill.) has qualified for the most events at nine after tying for the team lead in all-American honors last year.  Aherne has posted the sixth fastest time in the 50 free and ninth fastest swim in the 100 free.

 

Seniors Molly Polette (Wildwood, Mo.) and Emily Pufall (Omaha, Neb.) will be participating in eight events.

 

Polette was Truman’s lone National Champion last year winning the 500 Freestyle event and has the fourth fastest time in the event this season.  Polette has the third fastest time in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 17:13.25 and the 400 IM in a time of 4:30.33. 

 

Whitney Wodstrchill (Atkins, Iowa) is qualified in six events and has the third fastest time this season in Division II in the 200 backstroke and fourth fastest time in the 400 IM.

 

Five Bulldog men’s swimmers will take to the pool later this week with senior Alex Totura (Naperville, Ill.) representing Truman in seven events.  Totura will see action in both 100 and 200 free, 100 back, 100 and 200 fly and 200 free and medley relays.

 

Senior Adam Pruess (Dassel, Minn.) is qualified in four events and junior Jason Stokes (Blue Springs, Mo.) will be in five events..

 

 

Women’s Track & Field – Link to Championship Site

 

Sophomore Katrina Biermann (Liberty, Mo.) and Senior Christen Lauer (St. Louis, Mo.) will be not only competing for the Bulldogs but against each other in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field championships in Mankato, Minn.

 

Both are qualified in the triple jump with identical 11.70m (38-04.75) marks.  Biermann hit hers when taking first place on Feb. 29th at the MIAA Indoor Track & Field championships in Joplin, Mo.  Lauer made her mark at the Iowa State Cyclone Open on Jan. 26th.  Both marks are school records.

 

Both are 13th and 14th on the triple jump performance list that is headed up by Omonike Kotey of Cal. St.-Los Angles with a mark of 12.12m.

 Wrestling – Link to Championship site

 

Senior Rob Nahlik (Chesterfield, Mo.) and junior Blake Peterson (St. Jospeh, Mo.) will be representing the Bulldogs and trying to keep the all-American streak alive as they head to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the Division II Wrestling championships.

 

Nahlik will be making his first trip to the national meet after placing second in the 125-weight class at the NCAA Midwest Region on March 1 in Indianapolis.  Nahlik (25-8) will meet Nick Smith of Minnesota State Mankato (20-5) in the first round on Friday.  Smith was ranked third in the nation in the 125-pound weight class and is on the top ranked team in the nation.

 

This will be Peterson’s third straight trip to the meet after earning all-American honors last season.  Peterson (20-6) also took second place at the Midwest Regional in the 165-pound bracket and will take on Keenan McCurdy of Nebraska-Kearney (29-17) in his first round match.  McCurdy is seventh in the 165-pound weight class while Nebraska-Kearney is the third ranked team in Division II.

 

Each weight class has 16 competitors.

 

Truman has had 11 all-Americans and had at least one in each of the past five championships.