Jan. 12, 2004
Two Returning All-Americas Get Truman's Track Season off To A Good Start
A pair of Truman all-America women's track runners were in action last weekend at the Bill Hillenbrand Invitational in Vermillion, S.D. and both received good marks in their first meets of the 2004 indoor season.
Junior Christina Winkler (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest) won the 60m hurdles title at the event and finished second in the 200m. Senior Sara Jessen (Brookfield, Mo./Brookfield) was close behind Winkler in those events, finishing second in the 60m hurdles and fifth in the 200m.
Winkler earned a NCAA provisional mark in the 60m hurdles. After winning the prelims with a time of 9.09, she won the finals with a mark of 8.97, a new personal-best for her college career. Winkler recorded a time of 26.11 in finishing as the runner-up in the 200m dash.
Winkler is looking to advance to her first NCAA indoor championship this season. In her first two seasons, she has won four all-America outdoor honors, two in the 400m hurdles and two as a member of the Bulldog 4x400 relay team.
Jessen finished second behind Winkler in both the prelims and finals of the 60m hurdles. She ran a time of 9.24 in the first run and had a mark of 9.20 in the finals. In the 200m, she completed the race in a time of 26.39.
Jessen is the defending MIAA champion in the 60m hurdles and she advanced to nationals last season in that event. She has won a pair of all-America awards in outdoor track as a member of the 4x400 relay team.
Both Bulldog track teams will be in action next week Saturday when they travel to Iowa City, Iowa for the Iowa Indoor Open.