Reagan, Brand will represent Fighting Bees

As the indoor track and field season wraps up, the St. Ambrose runners and throwers have a lot to cheer about. First, Marcus Brand qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the 35 lb. weight throw.

Brand finished 21st last season in the hammer throw outdoors, and will be competing for the first time at the indoor Nationals. Helping Brand along the way was former weight throw national champion and coach Rob Firrell.

"Marcus has the ability to be one of the best in the country," Firrell said. "I think the competition at nationals will bring him up to another level, and he'll compete well."

Then there's the story of Steph Reagan: sprinter turned hurdler.
Reagan was the Bees best sprinter last spring, but wanted a different challenge. She took up hurdling in the fall, and after just four meets, the St. Ambrose sophomore is in the top 20 in the NAIA.

"We knew Steph would adapt fairly well to the hurdles," hurdle coach Dan Tomlin said. "She's picked it up fairly quickly, and she's only getting better. There's no telling how fast she can go, and this is just the beginning."

Former Moline standout Steph Reagan qualified for the NAIA National Championships in just her fifth career high hurdle race at the Dick Pond Invite at Lewis University. Reagan, who picked up hurdling in the fall, ran a season's best time of 8.91, just .04 under the provisional qualifying time. Reagan finished third in the hurdles and helped the distance medley relay to a first-place finish.
Former Davenport West prep Marcus Brand, who finished 21st in the country last spring in the hammer, will represent the Fighting Bees track team at the NAIA National Championships in the weight throw. Brand won the Leif Ericson Invite with a toss of 45-2.50.