WMU News

McMullen and Strieter to compete at USATF championships

June 15, 1998

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University senior All-Americans Phil McMullen (Cadillac, Mich.) and Jamie Strieter (Rolling Prairie, Ind./ New Prairie) will next be competing at the United States Track and Field Championships (June 19-21) in New Orleans.

Strieter became only the fifth WMU women's track All-American when she finished 15th in the javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. on June 5. She joins Kay Barstow, fifth in the high jump (1979); Caroline Mullen, fourth in the 5,000 meters (1987); Jill Stamison, fourth in the 800 meters (1993); and Phyllis Brooks, 11th in the 400-meter hurdles (1997) as the only Broncos to earn All-American honors. Strieter's throw of 160-3 fell short of her school-record throw of 171-1 set at the Mid-American Conference Championships (May 21-23) in Akron, Ohio.

McMullen finished fifth (7,613 points) in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships on June 6. McMullen, despite falling 212 points short of the winner Klaus Ambrosch (7,825 points) of Arizona, earned all-America honors for the second consecutive year.

His marks by event were: :11.49 in the 100 meters, 22-1 in the long jump, 43-10 1/2 in the shot put, 6-2 1/4 in the high jump, :49.28 in the 400 meters, :14.96 in the 110-meter hurdles, 157-5 in the discus, 14-1 3/4 in the pole vault, 177-5 in the javelin and 4:17.80 in the 1,500 meters.

At the Mid-American Conference Track Championships in Akron, Ohio (May 21-23), McMullen became only the second decathlete ever to win four-consecutive MAC titles when he won the event with 7,821 points. His score fell 39 points shy of breaking his own MAC record for the decathlon (7,859 points), which he established at the 1997 MAC Outdoor Track Championships in Kent, Ohio.

Earlier this season McMullen won the Penn Relays with 7,723 points which was the second-highest collegiate total in meet history.

At the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. (April 8-9), McMullen recorded the best decathlon performance (8,008 points) in the NCAA this year. In scoring over 8,000 points McMullen became the first collegian since Louisiana State University's Mario Sategna in 1995 to break the barrier and only the 49th American ever to break the 8,000-point plateau.

McMullen had won all three decathlons he had entered this season prior to finishing fifth at the NCAA meet.

Media contact: Sean Palchick, 616 387-4138, sean.palchick@wmich.edu


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