CollegeReport

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[By Paul Lambert

Roman poet Sextus Aurelius Propertius is widely considered to be the finest elegiac poet of ancient Rome.

The bulk of Propertius' work was in the form of epic storytelling, wherein he once wrote, "Always toward absent lovers, love's tide stronger goes."

Much later, an anonymous English poem translated that sentiment into the more common "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Thomas Haynes Bayly later popularized the phrase in a song titled "Isle of Beauty," when he wrote "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Isle of Beauty, fare thee well."

Strangely enough, the Roman poet Propertius was also fascinated by the athletic achievements of the women of Sparta, who competed in various athletic events generally reserved for men. One such event, the Dionysiades, was an overland distance footrace, complete with obstacles such as streams and fences.

More than 2000 years after Propertius wrote of women distance runners and emotional longing for the absent, Chester graduate Juli Koenegstein brought it all together at the NCAA MidEast Regional.

An NCAA Regionals qualifier as a sophomore, Koenegstein sat out the 2008 regional meet with an injury - creating a sense of longing, if you will.

A steady All-Ohio Valley Conference performer in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for Southeast Missouri State, taking Koenegstein out of Regionals was a little like taking the sugar out of the pumpkin pie. It looked OK, but something wasn't right.

Koenegstein was apparently resolved not to miss out on another regional, qualifying in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and narrowly missing a 5,000-meter run berth.

Facing an elite field of 26 on Saturday at the MidEast Regional in Louisville, Koenegstein finished 17th with a time of 11-minutes, 1.56-seconds.

The race marks the end of Koenegstein's track career, though she will compete for SEMO in the upcoming cross country season. &#8230;

Also for SEMO, Steeleville graduate Joshua Uchtman took on the MidEast Regional field in Louisville, competing in both the shot put and discus.

Uchtman finished 20th in the discus with a mighty fling of 164-feet, 3-inches, adding a 25th-place finish in the shot put (51-7). &#8230;

Representing the University of Illinois at the MidEast Regional, Sparta graduate Andrew Zollner placed second in the pole vault with a height of 17-3. That performance lands Zollner in the NCAA National Championships, scheduled to begin June 10 in Fayetteville, Ark. &#8230;