1979 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships

1979 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships
1979 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships
Dates	March 2–3, 1979
Host city	Columbia, Missouri
Venue	Hearnes Multipurpose Building
	← 1978 1980 →

The 1979 Missouri National Invitational Women's Indoor Track and Field Meet was the second unofficial collegiate championship event for women's indoor track and field to be sanctioned by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in the United States. It was a forerunner of the first official AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships. Held for the first two years as an invitational, the meet gained official national championship status in 1980,^[1]^[2] when a qualification process was employed. It was called a "de facto" championship until then.^[1]^[3]

The meet was contested March 2−3, 1979 in Columbia, Missouri at the Hearnes Multipurpose Building and won by the Iowa State Cyclones track and field team.^[4] Unlike other AIAW-sponsored sports, there were not separate large and small college division championships for indoor track and field. At the championships, Themis Zambrzycki was noted for winning all but one of the events in the new indoor pentathlon event.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Team standings

Scoring: 10 points for a 1st-place finish, 8 points for 2nd, 6 points for 3rd, 4 points for 4th, 2 points for 5th, and 1 point for 6th. Top 10 teams shown.^[9]

Rank	Team	Points
	Iowa State Cyclones	51
	UTEP Miners	47
	Kansas Jayhawks	34
4th	Kansas State Wildcats	26
5th	Arkansas Razorbacks	24
6th	Colorado Buffaloes	22
7th	Villanova Wildcats	19
8th	BYU Cougars	18
8th	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	18
10th	District of Columbia Firebirds	17

Results

Only results of finals are shown^[1]^[10]^[11]

60 yards
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Sheila Calmese	Kansas Jayhawks	6.90
	Lori Green	Kansas Jayhawks	7.04
	Elizabeth Young	District of Columbia Firebirds	7.05
4th	Sandra Milliner	Chicago State Cougars	7.08
5th	Hazel Lucas	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	7.16
6th	Wanda Hooker	Memphis Tigers	7.18

300 yards
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Elizabeth Young	District of Columbia Firebirds	34.50 NR
	Jeanine Brown	UTEP Miners	34.92
	Sheila Calmese	Kansas Jayhawks	34.93
4th	Nancy Miller	Utah State Aggies	35.12
5th	Lori Green	Kansas Jayhawks	35.57
6th	Edna Brown	Temple Owls	35.74

600 yards
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Diann Ousley	Arkansas Razorbacks	1:21.22
	Dorianne Lambelet	Villanova Wildcats	1:21.6
	Dana Gildden	Missouri Tigers	1:21.9
4th	Wanda Trent	Kansas State Wildcats	1:23.0
5th	Laura Ferguson	Wyoming Cowgirls	1:23.0
6th	Carolyn Brinkley	District of Columbia Firebirds	1:25.2
	Lee Ballenger	Colorado Buffaloes	DNF

1000 yards
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Debbie Vetter	Iowa State Cyclones	2:29.81
	Brigid Leddy	Villanova Wildcats	2:32.6
	Diane Vetter	Iowa State Cyclones	2:34.2
4th	Janel LeValley	Kansas State Wildcats	2:35.5
5th	Siri Bjelland	Oklahoma Sooners	2:39.3
6th	Deb Hertzog	Kansas Jayhawks	2:39.8

Mile run
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Debbie Pearson Mitchell^[12]	UTEP Miners	4:47.35
	Jody Rittenhouse	Arkansas Razorbacks	4:50.9
	Renee Urish	Kansas State Wildcats	4:51.6
4th	Wendy Van Mierlo	Illinois State Redbirds	4:53.9
5th	Brigid Leddy	Villanova Wildcats	4:54.6
6th	Michelle Brown	Kansas Jayhawks	4:58.7

3 miles
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Dana Slater	Colorado Buffaloes	16:05.45
	Karen Bridges	Oklahoma State Cowgirls	16:10.2
	Mary Seybold	Iowa State Cyclones	16:22.9
4th	Alanna McCarthy^[13]	Morehead State Eagles	16:27.9
5th	Matha Stinson	Missouri Tigers	16:41.0
6th	Cindy Bradley	Montana State Bobcats	16:55.9
7th	Pippa Holman	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	16:59.3^[14]

60 yards hurdles
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Debra Deutsch	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	7.80
	Gayle Harris Watkins	Western Kentucky Lady Toppers	7.82
	Julie Smithers	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	7.84
4th	Linda Bourn	BYU Cougars	7.98
5th	Debbie Kilhoffer	Illinois State Redbirds	8.06
6th	Pam Page	Missouri Tigers	8.11
7th	Lori Lowrey	Kansas Jayhawks	8.19

4 × 220 yards relay
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Amy Whicker^[15]	Temple Owls	1:40.69 NR
	Ellen Howard^[15]
	Venita McDavid^[15]
	Laura Carroll^[16]
	Ellie Mahall^[17]	Iowa State Cyclones	1:41.5
	Loreen Spearman^[17]
	Sumetia Wells^[17]
	Laurie Eder^[17]
	Dannette Alford^[18]	UTEP Miners	1:41.7
	Jeanine Brown^[18]
	Esther Otieno^[18]
	Carrman Rivers^[18]
4th		Auburn Tigers	1:42.8



5th	Debra Spencer^[19]	Memphis Tigers	1:44.8
	Wanda Hooker^[19]
	Jill Ford^[19]
	Mary Walker^[19]
6th		Villanova Wildcats	1:44.8

4 × 440 yards relay
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Laurie Eder^[17]	Iowa State Cyclones	3:47.06 NR
	Debbie Esser^[17]
	Ellie Mahall^[17]
	Sumetia Wells^[17]
	Leesa Wallace^[20]	Kansas State Wildcats	3:50.8
	Freda Hancock^[20]
	Lorraine Davidson^[20]
	Wanda Trent^[20]
		Arkansas Razorbacks	3:52.2



4th		Colorado Buffaloes	3:52.5



5th		Auburn Tigers	3:52.6



6th	Esther Otieno^[4]	UTEP Miners	3:53.5
	Carrman Rivers^[4]
	Bea Reese^[4]
	Jeanine Brown^[4]

Distance medley relay
Name	Team	Mark
Evelyn McMeekin^[17]	Iowa State Cyclones	11:39.39 NR
Debbie Esser^[17]
Debbie Vetter^[17]
Diane Vetter^[17]
	Colorado Buffaloes	12:05.7

High jump
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Sharon Burrill	Nebraska Cornhuskers	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
	Tammie Thomas	Oklahoma State Cowgirls	5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)
	Shawn Corwin	Kansas Jayhawks	5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)
4th	Lucia Chudy	Utah State Aggies	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
5th	Kay Barstow	Western Michigan Broncos	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
6th	Mary Cragoe	Missouri Tigers	5 ft 8 in (1.72 m)

Long jump
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Esther Otieno	UTEP Miners	19 ft 01⁄2 in (5.8 m)
	Gayle Harris Watkins	Western Kentucky Lady Toppers	18 ft 93⁄4 in (5.73 m)
	Ann Meacham	Eastern Michigan Eagles	18 ft 61⁄2 in (5.65 m)
4th	Annette Sittenauer	Kansas State Wildcats	18 ft 51⁄2 in (5.62 m)
5th	Cheryl Williams	Eastern Michigan Eagles	18 ft 4 in (5.58 m)
6th	Carla Heintz	Montana State Bobcats	18 ft 31⁄2 in (5.57 m)
7th	Sharon Burrill	Nebraska Cornhuskers	18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
8th	Karesa Robbins	Kansas State Wildcats

Shot put
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Cecil Hansen	Oklahoma Sooners	51 ft 5 in (15.67 m)
	Jennifer Smit	UTEP Miners	49 ft 41⁄2 in (15.04 m)
	Deanna Patrick	Kansas Jayhawks	47 ft 0 in (14.32 m)
4th	Betty Bogers	UTEP Miners	46 ft 1 in (14.04 m)
5th	Jan Hallier	Illinois State Redbirds	45 ft 1 in (13.74 m)
6th	Joan Fagerness	Minnesota State Mavericks	44 ft 93⁄4 in (13.65 m)

Pentathlon
Pl.	Name	Team	Mark
	Themis Zambrzycki	BYU Cougars	4358 pts
	Karen Page	Utah State Aggies	4003 pts
	Mary Anne Harrington	Colorado State Rams	3804 pts
4th	Vivian Estes Eschavarria	BYU Cougars	3725 pts
5th	Allison Manley	Murray State Racers	3572 pts
6th	Dona Lane	Iowa State Cyclones	3504 pts

References

1 2 3 "eTrack eTN1979_02" (PDF). Track and Field News. p. 9. Retrieved January 11, 2025. note: this was not a true "national championships"; that begins next year
↑ "Missouri to sponsor women's track meet". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 16, 1978. p. 18. Retrieved May 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com™. Approximately 300 individuals and some 35 schools will compete in this first meet ever.
↑ "Lady Miners Take Second In Indoor". El Paso Times. March 5, 1979. p. 27. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
1 2 3 4 5 "Brown to key Miner women". El Paso Herald-Post. March 2, 1979. p. 19. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "Women Stars in MU Meet". The Kansas City Times. March 1, 1979. p. 78. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "MSU Women Trail In Meet". The Commercial Appeal. March 4, 1979. p. 46. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "BYU Coed Sets Mark". The Daily Herald. March 4, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "Vetters wreak considerable havoc as they monopolize track meet". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 4, 1979. p. 13. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "COLLEGE WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL Yesterday's Finals". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 4, 1979. p. 14. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "Zambryzcki easy leader in pentathlon". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 3, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "COLLEGE WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 3, 1979. p. 10. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "UTEP Women Face Area's Top Harriers". El Paso Times. November 4, 1978. p. 37. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
↑ "WOMEN'S TRACK At Morehead St". Lexington Herald-Leader. March 25, 1979. p. 40. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
↑ "Deutch sets national mark in 60 hurdles". The Central New Jersey Home News. March 4, 1979. p. 15. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
1 2 3 "OwlSports.com 2018-19 Top Indoor Marks and Times" (PDF).
↑ "10,000 record Joan Benoit's". Press and Sun-Bulletin. May 13, 1979. p. 20. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Vetter, ISU women set 2 U.S. records". The Des Moines Register. March 5, 1979. p. 24. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
1 2 3 4 "UTEP Miners Media Guide" (PDF). University of Texas at El Paso Athletics. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
1 2 3 4 "Track UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI NATIONAL INDOOR MEET". The Commercial Appeal. March 3, 1979. p. 30. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
1 2 3 4 "KSU women fourth at National Indoor". The Manhattan Mercury. March 4, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved October 7, 2025.

[tfn-1] 1 2 3 "eTrack eTN1979_02" (PDF). Track and Field News. p. 9. Retrieved January 11, 2025. note: this was not a true "national championships"; that begins next year

[intro-2] "Missouri to sponsor women's track meet". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 16, 1978. p. 18. Retrieved May 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com™. Approximately 300 individuals and some 35 schools will compete in this first meet ever.

[3] "Lady Miners Take Second In Indoor". El Paso Times. March 5, 1979. p. 27. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[btk-4] 1 2 3 4 5 "Brown to key Miner women". El Paso Herald-Post. March 2, 1979. p. 19. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[5] "Women Stars in MU Meet". The Kansas City Times. March 1, 1979. p. 78. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[6] "MSU Women Trail In Meet". The Commercial Appeal. March 4, 1979. p. 46. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[7] "BYU Coed Sets Mark". The Daily Herald. March 4, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[8] "Vetters wreak considerable havoc as they monopolize track meet". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 4, 1979. p. 13. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[9] "COLLEGE WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL Yesterday's Finals". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 4, 1979. p. 14. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[10] "Zambryzcki easy leader in pentathlon". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 3, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[prelims-11] "COLLEGE WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL". Columbia Daily Tribune. March 3, 1979. p. 10. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[12] "UTEP Women Face Area's Top Harriers". El Paso Times. November 4, 1978. p. 37. Retrieved February 19, 2026.

[13] "WOMEN'S TRACK At Morehead St". Lexington Herald-Leader. March 25, 1979. p. 40. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[14] "Deutch sets national mark in 60 hurdles". The Central New Jersey Home News. March 4, 1979. p. 15. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[temple-15] 1 2 3 "OwlSports.com 2018-19 Top Indoor Marks and Times" (PDF).

[16] "10,000 record Joan Benoit's". Press and Sun-Bulletin. May 13, 1979. p. 20. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

[isu-17] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Vetter, ISU women set 2 U.S. records". The Des Moines Register. March 5, 1979. p. 24. Retrieved January 17, 2025.

[umg-18] 1 2 3 4 "UTEP Miners Media Guide" (PDF). University of Texas at El Paso Athletics. Retrieved December 27, 2024.

[mem-19] 1 2 3 4 "Track UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI NATIONAL INDOOR MEET". The Commercial Appeal. March 3, 1979. p. 30. Retrieved February 18, 2025.

[kstate-20] 1 2 3 4 "KSU women fourth at National Indoor". The Manhattan Mercury. March 4, 1979. p. 9. Retrieved October 7, 2025.

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AIAW Division I Track and Field Championships
Outdoor	1969 (DGWS) 1970 (DGWS) 1971 (DGWS) 1972 (DGWS) 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Indoor	1978 (MNI) 1979 (MNI) 1980 1981 1982
MNI = Missouri National Invitational, DGWS = Division for Girls' and Women's Sport. Separate divisional meets were only held for the 1981-1982 outdoor championships.

Team standings

Results

See also

References