INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — After successful performances at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Cyclones Erin Bresnan, Trina Radske and Saul Lempirikany each return to Ames with All-American status.

It was Radske and Lempirikany’s second time earning the title.

The championships were held at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind., on March 13 and 14. Iowa State’s Lisa Griebel and All-Americans Kris Curnyn and Jason Woods also competed.

Bresnan missed the 800-meter finals by one place, but still garnered the All-American title because one of the top eight finishers was from Finland.

“At first I was a little disappointed that I just missed finals, but after finding out I was an All-Amercian, I was pleased,” Bresnan said. “Going to natinoals was a wonderful experience. The level of competition was better than any race I’ve ever been in.”

Both Radske and Lempirikany struggled during the indoor season. Radske fought with hamstring trouble, while Lempirikany battled to stay in good health. Still, both managed to close the season with strong performances at the NCAA meet.

Radske said she was simply happy to make it to the compeition after the injury-plagued indoor season and is grateful to her coach, Ron McEachran, for his patience with her injury.

“We’ve worked through it together,” she said.

McEachran said he was happy to have the opportunity to return to the national competition with Radske, whom he described as a “very, very talented athlete.”

“I thought she gave a very courageous performance out there,” he said. “She actually never ceases to amaze me.”

Radske, who placed sixth in the 1997 indoors, said she was aiming to leap into the nation’s top four, but was pleased with her sixth place performance because it earned her a two-time All-American status.

“It was nice to become a two-time All-American, it’s kind of a step up from being an All-American,” she said.

Lempirikany, who also honed All-American honors during the 1997 cross-country season, placed sixth in the 5,000-meter run to make status.

Cyclone Men’s Coach Steve Lynn said that the odds weren’t in Lepirikany’s favor as he was ranked 15th in the 15-man field.

However, Lynn said that Lempirikany was confident and ready to go despite his struggle with sickness over the final weeks of the indoor season.

Lempirikany said as nationals neared, his sickness and chest pains begain to subside and he began feeling better.

Lynn said it was “a strange race” with many surges in speed. He said Lempirikany just ran in the middle of the field and stayed with the front runners broke the field in half, he went along.

Lempirikany said, “I was able to stay there and I was pretty much comfortable.”

“I’m happy with my race. It is kind of fun [being a] two time All-American in one year. I’m definitely going for it in the outdoor.”

In the last 800, Lempirikany legged his way past the an Arizona competitor to capture sixth place and All-American honors.

Lynn said Woods missed the finals in the 55-meter hurdles by .03 seconds after hitting a hurdle early on in the race.

“It’s too bad because he’s had a good season,” Lynn said. “We still have outdoors.”

Woods is a three-time All-American. Curnyn, an All-American, participated in the weight throw. Griebel, who championed the 1998 Big 12 indoor meet as a freshman, went to the contest to toss the shot put.