Published May 06, 2008 10:08 am - Trisha VanDusseldorp broke two meet records and Sara Dickinson set a school record at the Little Hawkeye Conference track meet Monday night.
VanDusseldorp sets two records at LHC track meet; Indians eclipse 3 other marks
By JIM GRIES
Herald sports editor
KNOXVILLE
—
For one of the few times this season, area track teams had an almost ideal night to run, jump and throw.
Numerous meet records were set at Monday night’s Little Hawkeye Conference track meet at Randy Wilson Track.
Pella’s Brooke Gritters broke her own shot put record while adding a conference title in the discus.
And Oskaloosa’s Trisha VanDusseldorp set a pair of meet records while teammate Sara Dickinson had a school record in the 1,500-meter run.
Also, the Indians’ shuttle hurdle boys relay had a school record and Alex Christensen set a freshman record in the 1,600.
The Oskaloosa girls were fourth with 74 points while the boys came in seventh with 30 points. Team champions were Grinnell for the girls and Boone for the boys.
Besides her two individual conference titles, VanDusseldorp also anchored the winning distance medley as she brought the team from fourth place and caught the anchor runner from Pella in the closing portion of the race to secure the win.
“We had beaten Pella before and I put the runner down to get that victory for my teammates,” VanDusseldorp said. “I just dug down and thought she was going a little slow and I had a good finish. I beat her in the last few meters.”
The distance medley team also had Maddi Sams, Haley Brostrom and Lauren Williams joining VanDusseldorp in running 4:23.13.
The Oskaloosa senior later set meet records in the 400 hurdles as she ran 1:04.52 and broke the 1999 record of former Oskaloosa standout Candi Jones in the 800 as VanDusseldorp clocked in at 2:20.87.
“It feels awesome being a senior and setting two conference records,” she said. “I have to thank my coaches (Betsy Luck and Kathleen Rempe), they work me hard in practice and put me in all these events because they know I can do it. I was planning out and just coming out and get the victories and setting two records is like the cherry on top.
“Candi was a great runner for Oskaloosa and to know I can break a great runner’s record, makes me feel good.”
Luck was in awe how VanDusseldorp ran in her wins.
“Trisha was just awesome,” she said.
Dickinson has been struggling this season getting her strength to run, but she came up with three string performances as she was runner-up in the 3,000 and 1,500 while placing fifth with a personal record in the 800.