Carlstrom Featured in The Independent

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GRAND ISLAND INDEPENDENT newspaper
By Bob Hamar bob.hamar@theindependent.com Posted May 22, 2008

Regan Carlstrom is doing her best to rewrite the Doane College record books.

Regan Carlstrom
has set or tied five school records during 2008

Carlstrom, a junior at Doane and a former prep standout at St. Edward High School, now own school records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes outdoors and the 55, 60 and 200 indoors.

"It surprised me a little bit," she said. "I wasn't expecting to do nearly as well as I am. I'm just going with it, working hard and hopefully I'll get even better."

Carlstrom will be competing today through Saturday at the NAIA National Outdoor Championships at Edwardsville, Ill.

Carlstrom will run in the 100 and the 400 at the national meet as well as the 400 relay. She also qualified in the 200 and the 1,600 relay, but the relay isn't going because of injuries and she won't run the 200.

"I'm sitting fifth in the 100 and seventh in the 400," Carlstrom said. "I'm not running the 200 at nationals because they run preliminaries, semis and finals and I can't do all three, so we decided to do the 100 and 400."

Carlstrom is a newcomer to the open 400. She ran it for the first time ever May 9 at the Concordia Twilight Meet. The result was a stadium record of 56.12 and a trip to the national meet in that event.

"I was really excited," Carlstrom said. "The school record is 55.6 so I'm actually really close to that. I'm hoping to get it at nationals."

The Doane women will be taking a strong group of athletes to the national meet.

"We have a chance of doing very well," Carlstrom said. "The competition is very stiff in the NAIA. We'll have to work really hard, but a lot of us are sitting in the top 10 and a lot are in the top five. If we just go and do what we can do, we can do very well."

The Doane women won their 10th straight GPAC Championship in early May. Carlstrom won the 100 (11.98) and the 200 (24.79) and set school records in both.

Carlstrom said it's exciting to run for a school with so much tradition.

"It's a blast. It's great to have your own individual records, but you're not going into conference worried about your own times," Carlstrom said. "You're worried about how you need to place high or win an event to get points for the team.

"It's all about what we can do as a team. It's really fun to be a part of such a strong team like this."

Carlstrom's high school career was slowed by illness and injuries. She won the Class D 100 and 200 titles as a sophomore in 2003. Her 100 time of 12.36 still stands as a Class D state meet record.

But she never got to that level in high school again. Carlstrom's senior track season was lost due to an ACL injury suffered during basketball.

Carlstrom then went to Doane to play volleyball and run track. She decided last year to drop volleyball and concentrate on her track career.

"I think that was probably one of my best decisions," Carlstrom said. "I love volleyball, but my true passion is track. It's enabled me to put all my heart and effort into track. I don't regret it at all."

Carlstrom said her time at Doane has been a great experience.

"I couldn't see myself anywhere else," Carlstrom said. "Doane is a great school academically and the track team is phenomenal. I love it. I don't think I'd do nearly as well if I wasn't here.

"The coaching staff is amazing. I have to give them a lot of credit."

Home Team

Doane

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Posted by Rick Schmuecker on 5/22/2008 5:40:00 PM

Carlstrom Featured in The Independent

Carlstrom Featured in The Independent

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