Ellingson recognized as an Outstanding Performer

INDIANOLA, IA - With two individual titles, a relay victory and an NCAA provisional qualifying effort in the mile during the past week, the Iowa Conference recognized Simpson middle-distance runner Catie Ellingson as an outstanding weekly performer in track and field, as announced Wednesday.

A junior from Indianola, Iowa, Ellingson won both the 800 (2:18.36) and the mile (5:04.92) and anchored the winning 4x400-meter relay (4:04.36) at the Monmouth (Ill.) Fighting Scot Invitational Saturday, Feb. 13. Her time in the mile provisionally qualified her for nationals, and the 4x400 time was a season best.

Ellingson is a four-time national qualifier in track and field and she qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships this fall. She earned All-America honors in the 1500 meter run at outdoor nationals in 2009 and in the 800 at indoor nationals in 2008.

Simpson's final tune-up before the Iowa Conference Championships comes Friday, Feb. 19 at the UNI Dome Open in Cedar Falls. The conference meet will be held Feb. 26-27 at Storm Lake, hosted by Buena Vista.