For most members of the Hamline track & field team, this is a down time, a chance to relax after the indoor season before turnign their attention to the outdoor portion of the slate.
Eric Dols, a freshman, is a happy exception to the rule. The Prior Lake, Minn. native will be at Grinnell College this weekend to compete in the NCAA Division III Track & Field meet. Dols is one of two MIACers who will compete in the shot put.Â
You get to these meets based on your performances in the indoor season. In Dols' case, he unleashed a 53-5 shot on February 5 during the Hamster Invitational. That is the second best effort this year in the MIAC and the 14th best in NCAA D-III.Â
So Dols will be the lone freshmen competing with the big boys. He joins a distinguished group of throwers that have represented Hamline at national meets. 32 of those throwers went on to earn NAIA or NCAA All-American status.