USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS - A record number of Bethel University men's track student athletes competed at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship meet, and as a result, Bethel has five United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) All-Americans.

Each of the four members of Bethel's 1600 meter relay team earned the honor as they broke their own school record that was set less than 48 hours before, finishing in second place with a time of 3:11.18. The team consisting of Taylor Ferda (Jr., Whitefish, Mont.), Joel Quick (Jr., Johnston, Iowa), Zach Schlegel (So., Woodbury, Minn.), and Eric Rhode (Jr., Oakdale, Minn.) shaved more than a second off their previous best time of 3:12.47, which they earned in the preliminaries of the event on Thursday afternoon. Their time in the race also bettered the previous Division III season best.

Ferda also earned USTFCCCA All-American status by finishing the 110 meter hurdles in fifth place with a time of 14.60 seconds. This is Ferda's first such award for outdoor track and field, though he also earned it for the 55 meter hurdles in 2008 at the indoor national track and field meet.

Tyler Hinrichs (Sr., Clara City, Minn.), competing in his first national championship run, finished eighth out of 12 with a time of 3:55.29 and is also now a USTFCCCA All-American. Hinrichs put together a stellar senior year, earning All-MIAC honors in cross country, and winning the mile run at the indoor track and field conference meet. He most recently won the 1500 meter run at the outdoor conference meet and set a new school record in the event at the Last Chance Qualifier meet to get an automatic qualifying time for the national meet.