North Dakota senior, Heidi Evans, had a spectacular weekend at the Mt. Sac relays. On Friday, she ran 2:10.71 in the 800 meters, a personal record. On Sunday, Evans ran a stellar 4:24.66 in the 1500 meters, bettering the time she ran at the 2007 Outdoor National Championships where she placed fourth. It is also the fastest time this year for Division II. This past weekend, Evans traveled to the prestigious Drake relays and ran 4:29.22 for 1500 meters. About her performance at the Mt. Sac Relays she explained, “We have been doing speed work the last couple of weeks. I was nervous after not racing indoor since I did not have any eligibility left in indoor.” In high school, Heidi played volleyball, basketball and ran track and field. At the Minnesota state meet, she was the champion and the two time individual runner-up in the 800 meters. Initially, she came to North Dakota to play volleyball, but once on campus the track coach convinced her to run for the team. Evans played volleyball and ran track for four years, red-shirting her freshman season in track. Having run out of eligibility for volleyball this year, she ran cross country for the first time. About this experience she explains, “I really think that running cross country helped…[in previous years,] it was very tough training for volleyball which is all about explosion and strength and then switch over to the 1500 meter which is about speed and endurance.” Despite this difficulty, Heidi has been an All-American on a number of occasions; first at the 2007 Indoor Nationals in 800 meters, where she placed sixth, and later that year at the Outdoor Nationals where she placed fourth in the 1500 meters. About these accomplishments, she says, “Being All-American is a big deal. It something you always want to do when you are younger.” Being All-American has not satisfied all of Evans’s goals. “Top three has been a goal this year” she explains, as well as “Improv[ing] my running so that I am running my fastest at the end [of the season].” After Evans graduates, she is planning to attend graduate school at North Dakota University in kinesiology or exercise science. With her proven dedication as a student-athlete, it is almost certain that Evans will succeed in her future endeavors. Weekend of April 25, 2008 Track was back this weekend and it was a huge weekend for track and field with the Penn Relays and Drake Relays. There were many magnificent performances in DII and I will try to highlight many of them. You, as my loyal readers, know if I miss anything leave a comment and I will correct it. Penn Relays Abilene Christian’s Daniel Maina won the college men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 8:40.46. UMass-Lowell’s Tim Guerin preliminary qualified in the event with the time of 9:14.28 Queen’s Daniel Kanyaruhuru came in second in the college men’s 5,000 meters with a time of 13:49.29 only ten milliseconds behind N.C. State’s Stephen Furst who ran 13:49.19. Also, running very well was Lock Haven’s Ryan Blood who ran a 14:02.49., Mansfield’s Chris Cummings who ran a 14:15.63., Edinboro’s Ben Hahn who ran a 14:31.38 and East Stroudsburg’s Iuri Pinto who ran a 14:37.23. In the college women’s 10,000 meters Abilene Christian’s Winrose Karunde ran a 35:03.73. The college men’s 10,000 meters was dominated by Abilene Christian runners. Abilene Christian’s Cleophas Tanui ran a 29:41.73 followed by his teammates; Serge Gasore (29:47.78), Nicaise Kazingo (30:01.60), and Amos Sang (30:09.87). Queen’s Ryan Connelly (30:18.06) and Lees-McRae’s Lewis Martin (31:30.22) also ran well. St. Augustine’s women’s sprint medley relay was the first DII finisher and finished fifth overall with a time of 3:55:09. In the men’s 4X100 meters St. Augustine’s finished seventh behind DI schools with the time of 39.91. Their men’s 4x200 meters team came in fourth with a time of 1:25.17. Also from St. Augustine’s Dennis Boone ran a 10.61 in the 100 meter dash. Their men’s 4x400 meters finished third in the time of 3:08.96. Drake Relays South Dakota’s women’s 4X200 meter team placed second with a time of 1:42.25. South Dakota’s women’s 4X400 meter team also placed second with a time of 3:46.92. South Dakota’s women’s sprint medley won with the time of 3:56.64. Minnesota State-Mankato’s Brittany Henderson ran 11.65 for the women’s 100 meter dash. In the 3,000 Steeple Augustana’s Rachel Strangler ran 10:40.17. Minnesota State- Mankato’s Kaitlin Rains won the pole vault with a vault of 3.85 meters. Minnesota State- Mankato’s men’s sprint medley relay team won the event in the time of 3:23.50. Harding’s men’s distance medley relay came in second with a time of 10:09.43. In the men's 5,000 meters Harding's Artur Kern ran a 14:17.97.