Schmidt, Underwood lead teams to success

Andy Dygert
News Editor
April 8, 2004, Page 6

Seniors Rochelle Schmidt and Dan Underwood, both former NAIA National Champions, led the Doane track team last week as they won the men’s and women’s SCHEELS/GPAC Outdoor Track and Field Athletes-of-the-Week awards.
Both athletes qualified for NAIA nationals with their marks in last week’s meets. Schmidt qualified in long jump with a leap of 19-00.5 ft. and in the triple long jump with a mark of 38-03.5 ft. Schmidt won the indoor and outdoor National Championships in the triple long jump in 2003 and won the indoor National Championship in long jump and triple jump this year.
Underwood excelled in the hammer-throw to win his award with a toss of 167-04 ft. at the Nebraska Kearney Open on March 27. Underwood won the outdoor National Championship in the discus in 2003.
Doane did well in the Dana Invite as a team, despite windy conditions, winning 12 women’s events and five men’s events. Schmidt won both the long jump and the triple long jump. Freshman Katie Kosmos won the 400 meter hurdles and came in second in the 100 meter hurdles.
“It was pretty windy,” freshman Blake Houchin said. “We pole-vaulters had to move to the high school.”
On the men’s side, Underwood won the hammer-throw and came in third in the discus. In the javelin throw, freshman Ben Francis won with a throw of 197-00.75 ft. and sophomore Ryan Dorhorst came in second with a toss of 160 ft.
The Tigers’ men’s and women’s teams next meet is Friday at Doane’s Lauritsen Track.
“For most people, the meet at Dana was their first outdoor meet,” sophomore Paul Sanders said. “Most people did all right, but the wind affected pretty much everyone. Hopefully we get some better marks in on Friday.”