ST. PAUL, MINN. - It’s been a very impressive two weeks for Wildcat athlete Tori Thompson (Rochester, Minn. / John Marshall). Last week, the sophomore earned two All-Conference honors from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), first for her play during the 2016-17 hockey season, then for her record-breaking performance in the long jump at the Indoor Track and Field Championships. On Friday, Thompson’s week got even better, as she broke her own school record at the Last Chance Meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. For her performance, Thompson has been named Wildcat Athlete of the Week.
Thompson, who was named All-Region by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday, was outstanding in just her fourth long jump competition of the season on Friday. After breaking the school record with a top-2 finish at the MIAC Championship, the sophomore was trying to better her distance of 5.40 meters to have a chance at qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend. Thompson didn’t just beat her MIAC mark on Friday, though. She broke her own school record in the process of winning the event. The sophomore jumped 5.45 meters on her third and fifth jump, breaking the school record she set at the MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship. She also beat Saint Mary's Becca Dup, the jumper who won the event last Saturday.
Although Thompson did not meet the qualifying mark for the NCAA Championship, she did earn All-Region honors for the first time in her career, having recorded one of the top-5 jumps in the Central Region.
