Jimmie notebook: Relay team makes history

Both Jimmie women relay teams are into the finals at the NAIA national indoor championships in Johnson City, Tenn.

The 4x800 quartet did so resoundingly, setting a new school record in the process. Alyssa Bossler, Emmylyn Bentley, Madey Hornung and Katie Conlon each had solid splits as the Jimmies’ time of 9:17.16 shattered the old indoor (9:25.43) and outdoor (9:25.24) records. The time was the fifth-best overall heading into the finals today.

The top six finishers earn All-American honors.

“It was a good day for us, both the women and men,” JC women’s coach Jim Clark said. “The kids had fun and competed well. Hopefully we can have another good day (Friday).”

The distance medley relay team of Bossler, Marissa Curry, Hornung and Conlon also are in good shape to earn All-American honors. Their prelim time of 12:19.07 was also the fifth-fastest heading into today’s final.

Two JC multi-eventers also competed on Thursday.

Josh Ewalt had a strong opening day and has put himself in prime position to earn All-American honors.

Ewalt is in seventh place with 2,600 points. He placed third in the 60 meter dash with a PR of 7.35.

He also had a season-best in the long jump (20-9 3/4). The shot (37-3) and high jump (5-10) were also held on the meet’s opening day.

Ewalt, a junior from Miles City, Mont., has been strong in the 60 hurdles, pole vault and 1000, which all will be run today.

Sarah Skipper fell short of earning All-American honors in the pentathlon, but was close, coming in ninth with 3.295 points.

Her day featured a PR in the 60 hurdles (9.41).

She fell short of her previous best efforts in the high jump (5-3 3/4), shot (28-7), long jump (16-8) and 800 (2:30.70), but each were close to being PRs.

“She had a pretty good day,” Clark said. “She was not too far off PRs and the competition is obviously pretty stiff down here.”

The JC men’s 3200 relay team of Lief Rasmussen, Kelly Roemmich, Nathan Christensen and Cody Roland failed to advance to the finals, but still posted a solid time 7:55.97, 1 second off their previous best time.

Bossler (mile), AnnaLiesa Fauth (400), Hornung (800), Bentley (800) and Conlon (3000) each compete in the semifinal round today as well as the relay finals.

The individual finals are set for Saturday.

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The JC men’s wrestling team got off to a rough start at the national meet in Oklahoma City.

The Jimmies went 2-8, getting one pin each from Joseph Michel at 133 and heavyweight Willie Hernandez.

Michel dominated his first-round match, sticking A.J. Ciccarelli of Menlo in just 71 seconds. But the star senior dropped a 9-6 decision to Michael Schulz of Grand View to send the Stayton, Ore., native into wrestlebacks.

Hernandez opened with a pin of Carlton Thompson of Cumberland at the 4:33 mark, but the sophomore from Riverside, Calif., lost a tight 3-2 decision in his second match to Levi Calhoun of Baker.

Sean Blumhardt (125), Brandon Roehrich (157), Pat Nord (165), Anthony Clay (174), B.J. Mosley (197) and Aaron Field (285) each dropped their first-round matches and drop into early-morning wrestlebacks today.

The Jimmies are in 25h place overall with 6 points. Dickinson State has 24 points and is eighth.

Sun sports editor Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at daves@jamestownsun.com

Tags: jamestown college, sports, jimmies, indoor, track, relay, jc, women, men, national, wrestling