AU Spartan Track Having Stellar Season

AURORA, Ill. May 10, 2005 - Winning a track and field meet two seasons ago at Aurora University would be an unthinkable event on the Aurora campus, but with the establishing of a men’s and women’s track and field program, the once unthinkable has taken place. In the NIIC/LMC (Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference/Lake Michigan Conference) meet held on Friday, May 6, 2005, at Concordia University – River Forest, the Spartans’ track and field programs both brought home first place finishes for the first time in school history. The meet was among schools that will participate in the newly created athletic conference beginning in the spring of 2007.

The Spartan men’s track and field team set nine school records en route to a commanding meet win that saw the Spartans finish with 214 points, while the closest competition (Milwaukee School of Engineering) finished with 123 points. AU was led by Co-Athletes of the Meet freshman sprinter/jumper Mark Heggen (Metamora, Ill./Metamora HS) and sophomore sprinter/jumper Austin Deer (Fisher, Ill./Fisher HS). The Spartan women’s track and field team set two school records en route to their convincing victory. AU won the meet with 169 points while the second-place finisher (Concordia – River Forest) had 118 points. The Spartan women were led by Athlete of the Meet junior sprinter/jumper Jenn Garlinsky (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland HS).

Heggen won both the 200m dash with a time of 22.64 and the triple jump with a jump of 12.90m. The triple jump distance set a school record. Heggen was also part of the Spartan 4x100m relay team that set a school record with a time of 43.69. In addition, Heggen finished third in the 100m dash with a time of 11.28 and fourth in the long jump with a jump of 6.13m. In his short career at AU, Heggen holds three individual school records (100m (11.20 on 3/19/05), 200m, and triple jump) as well as being a part of the record-setting 4x100m relay team.

Deer set two school records, finishing second in both the pole vault with a height of 3.35m and the long jump with a distance of 6.43m. Deer also finished third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:01.19, fourth in the high jump with a jump of 1.82m, fourth in the javelin with a throw of 43.14m, and seventh in the 110m hurdles with a time of 18.82. As a charter member of the AU men’s track and field team, Deer has several school records, including the pole vault and long jump, he also owns records in the decathalon (5,119 pts on 4/9/05) and the AU 4x400m relay team (3:27.00 on 4/29/05).

Garlinsky had an outstanding meet that saw her win the long jump with a distance of 4.72m, third in the javelin with a throw of 29.90m, fourth in the 100m dash with a time of 13.70, fourth in the 200m dash with a time of 29.34, fifth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 19.58, sixth in the high jump with a jump of 1.21m, and fourth in the 4x100m relay with a time of 57.60. Garlinsky holds school records in the 800m run (2:31.27 on 4/30/04), long jump (4.72m on 4/29/05), heptathalon (3,195 pts on 4/9/05), and 4x100m relay (53.70 on 4/27/05).

The Spartan men’s and women’s track and field team’s will be in action next on Friday, May 13, 2005, when they travel to the Dr. Keeler Invitational hosted by North Central College. The meet is an NCAA qualifying meet that is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. in Naperville, Ill.

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