Courtesy UW-Oshkosh Sports Information

Championship Website

OSHKOSH, Wis. - Hamilton College is in a six-way tie for sixth among men's teams, while Colby College sits in fourth on the women's side, just seven points out of first, after day two at the 2008 NCAA Track & Field Championships hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oskosh.

For the men, St. Thomas (Minn.) senior Mark O’Connell captured the national title in the hammer with a mark of 191-0. He is the second student-athlete from the University of St. Thomas to win the hammer throw, joining Pat Ahern who won the national title in 1993.

Defiance College (Ohio) senior Trevor Matuszak placed second in the hammer throw at 189-3 while UW-Oshkosh junior Phil Prusinski was third with a mark of 182-0. Senior Al Oleson of UW-Eau Claire was fourth at 181-8 while sophomore Rich McNeil of Bates College placed fifth with a heave of 180-9.

Hamilton College sophomore Peter Kosgei took the lead at the start of the 3,000-meter steeplechase and never relinquished it as he won his second straight national title. He broke his own J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium record with a winning time of 8:55.19. Kosgei entered the meet with the top qualifying time and broke his own record of 8:55.41 set last season at UW-Oshkosh.

St. John’s University (Minn.) senior Chris Erichsen and Tufts University senior Dave Sorensen each repeated with All-America honors Friday night. Erichsen placed second for the second straight year behind Kosgei with a time of 9:03.02 while Sorensen was third at 9:03.53. Sorensen finished sixth last season.

In women's action, Colby College senior Anna King made it interesting down the home stretch, but Dickinson College (Pa.) senior Caitlin Bradley wouldn’t be denied a national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Bradley, leading throughout, saw King in her rear view mirror with about 100-meters remaining, but a strong kick lifted her to the win. The two returning top five finishers from 2007 ended in 10:22.60 and 10:27.56, respectively.

In the preliminary events, Frostburg State University (Md.) sophomore Sumer Rohrs clocked a 13.92-second outing the 100-meter hurdles, setting a J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium record and NCAA Division III season’s best. A pair of athletes, Illinois Wesleyan University’s Rachel Anderson and Wartburg College's (Iowa) Hannah Baker, reeled off NCAA Division III season best outings in the 400-meter run preliminaries with Anderson recording a 55.35-second clocking and Baker going 55.58. City College of New Jersey senior Jodyann Raymond registered the fastest time in the 100-meter dash at 11.86, while Amherst College freshman Kristen Ballinger was fastest in the 800-meter run at 2:10.48.