College Track: 2 Blazers Head to National Meet

St. Cloud Times March 9, 2006 -

By Frank Rajkowski frajkowski@stcloudtimes.com

College of St. Benedict seniors Patti Clintsman and Jenna Wendorff have gotten used to competing at Division III national track and field meets.

Clintsman qualified for the indoor and outdoor national meets last season, helping the Blazers' 400-meter relay team earn outdoor All-American honors.

Meanwhile, Wendorff qualified for the indoor and outdoor national meets in each of her first three seasons, earning All-American honors in the shot put twice.

Clintsman and Wendorff have another chance to add to their resumes when they compete at this season's Division III indoor meet today and Saturday at St. Olaf College.

Clintsman has qualified in the 55 dash and the long jump. Wendorff again qualified in the shot put.

"It doesn't get old, that's for sure," Wendorff said. "I don't know if it gets easier, but I think you don't get as nervous once you've been there a couple of times. You know how the schedule works and you start to recognize what's going on a lot more."

Blazers coach Robin Balder-Lanoue said Clintsman and Wendorff's success is a testament to their competitive natures.

"I think the fact that they both are back at nationals again shows you what those two are like as people," Balder-Lanoue said. "Neither of them can stand to come in second. They're continually striving to get better, faster and stronger. They want to be the best athletes they can be."

The top eight finishers in each event earn All-American status.

Clintsman enters the meet seeded tied for 13th in the 55 with a time of 7.27 seconds and seeded 15th in the long jump with a leap of 18-feet-1 1/2.

City College of New York junior Mechelle Barnwell is seeded first in the 55 (7.08).

St. Thomas senior Kristal Grigsby is seeded first in the long jump (18-10).

Clintsman's personal-best performances in each event have come during competitions at St. Olaf.

"I love to compete there," Clintsman said. "The facility is incredible. We've had a lot of big meets down there and I know the place really well."

Wendorff enters the meet seeded sixth in the shot put with a throw of 44-9 1/2. Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Robyn Jarocki is seeded first with a throw of 55-2 3/4.

"It's hard to set goals," said Wendorff, who finished ninth in the shot put at last spring's national outdoor meet, just missing All-American honors. "Sometimes you're happy with a certain toss and sometimes you're not.

"I just want to get onto the podium. I just missed doing that at the outdoor meet last year and that was tough. Because then you have to stop for the summer, and you have the whole off-season to think about what you could have done differently."

Athletic Department
College of Saint Benedict
37 South College Avenue
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5301
Fax 320-363-6098