LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Gustavus women’s track & field team competed in its first outdoor meet since 2019 on Friday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The Gusties finished second in the triangular with 116 points. UW-La Crosse tallied 151 points and UW-Stout had 51 points.
In the track events, Josie Blake (Jr., Waukegan, Ill.) started the day by winning the 1500-meter in 5:11.78. The 100-meter hurdles was next and Birgen Nelson (So., Edina) placed second with a time of 14.58, breaking a 12-year-old school record set by Aryn (Bell) DeGrood. In the 400-meter, Elizabeth Donnelly (So., Langely, Wash.) took third with a time of 1:01.17. Caitlyn Storley (So., Rosemount) was the Gusties’ top performer in the 800-meter, taking third place in 2:47.35. Rachel Studer (Sr., Maple Grove) placed third in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 1:13.99. In the 200-meter, Nelson crossed the line in seventh place with a time of 26.05. Julia Severson (So., St. Cloud) led a fleet of Gusties in the 5000-meter with a winning time of 18:37.36. The 4×400 relay team of Sara Moen (Sr., Blaine), Elizabeth Whitcomb (Sr., St. Paul), Emilia Helms-Leslie (Jr., Fairbanks, Alaska), and Blake wrapped up the day with a fourth-place finish with a time of 4:21.57.
In the field events, Doris-Klein Mor (Jr., Saint Peter) cleared a height of 11-0.25 in the pole vault for third place. Halley Brocker (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) took second in the high jump with a leap of 5-1.25. In the long jump Paige Patterson (Sr., Red Wing) took seventh, clearing 16-3.25. Alexys Guidry (So., White Bear Lake) marked 125-8 in the discus to take second place. Rachel Erickson (Jr., Starbuck) launched the javelin 97-11 for second place. Madi Kes (Fy., Jordan) won the triple jump with a school record distance of 38-7. Annika Poe (So., Big Lake) gave the Gusties another win in the shot put with a throw of 43-6.5. Nicole Nelson (Fy., Canton, S.D.) rounded out the field events with a 10th place finish in the hammer throw, posting a mark of 121-2.
Throws coach Tom Thorkelson was pleased with how both the men’s and women’s throwers competed today.
“Throwers had an excellent meet lead by Annika Poe winning the women’s shot put and Steven Orzolek winning the men’s shot put,” Thorkelson said. “Other outstanding PRs were Alexys Guidry finishing second in the discus, Steven Orzolek taking third in the hammer, Rachel Erickson placing third in the javelin, and Josh Beiswanger placing fourth in the hammer in his first collegiate meet against two of the best throwing programs in the country. All in all an outstanding day for the throwers.”
A small group of Gusties compete at MSU-Mankato tomorrow.