It was a great finish to the season for the ISU track and field team as five members qualified for the NCAA National meet in Sacramento, Calif., June 8-11. Three athletes came away with All-American status and two advanced to the final round of their respective event, both coming away with top-five finishes.

“It was a big week for us,” said men’s head coach Steve Lynn. “I feel great about it. Everyone finished better than what they were rated coming into the event.”

Out of 71 teams that scored in the meet, the Cyclone men finished in a six-way tie for 19th place.

“It was a great way for us to end the season; to end the season in the top 20,” Lynn said.

Out of the five athletes representing Iowa State, there was only one girl, Ada Anderson.

“We thought earlier in the season we would have a minimum of two,” said head women’s coach Dick Lee.

Lee said the other Cyclone hopeful was junior Agata Kosuda, but she injured her back during practice in the week of the regional competition.

“If she hadn’t injured herself the week prior, she could have competed,” Lee said.

“It was just too close to regionals.”

Kosuda and Anderson were the best chance for the women to have representation at nationals.

“We thought we were pretty solid with those two,” Lee said.

“How can you imagine what it was like?” Kosuda said.

“I was in the top four in the country and then this happened.

“I did what I had to do for the team at the Big-12 Championships, and I just wanted to do something for myself. That was the most painful.”

Anderson did well at nationals in the 800-meter run and although she did not make it to the final round of the event, she still came away with All-American honors in it.

Lee said she had a chance to move on, but the pace was slowed in the second 400 meters in the semi-final round.

“For her to be her best, she needs to be aggressive the whole race,” Lee said.

“The leaders slowed the pace down and she can’t really do that; it’s hard for her to switch gears like that.”

On the men’s side, Oliver Koenig took second place in the long jump with a leap of 26-03. Lynn says the jump was a career-best and it happened to come on his last jump of the meet.

Koenig was in third going into the final round and the defending champ from Indiana, Aarik Wilson, fouled on his last jump in the finals. Fabrice Lapierre from Texas A&M jumped a 26-09 to take the lead and Koenig followed with his jump, earning both second place and All-America honors. The jump also ties him for third on the all-time performance list.

Jamal Cann made it to the finals in the discus, finishing third after throwing a career-best 193-02, putting him fifth on the list.

“His first throw was his best and it put pressure on the other competitors,” Lynn said.

“It was really rewarding to see him do well.”

Senior Tony Douglas finished 18th with a total distance of 50-09 1/2 in the triple jump, but it wasn’t enough to propel him into the finals. Douglas’ jump was his season-best, however, and this was only the third meet this season in which he competed in the event.

Senior Neil Hines went on to finish 14th in the decathlon with 6,907 points.

He ran a time of 16.12 in the 100-meter hurdles, his best of the season. He also ran a season-best in the 1,500-meter run.