SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s track & field team welcomed five other teams to campus Saturday for the Drake Alternative. The Gusties won seven events during a cold morning and early afternoon.
“It was quite the cold start to the day,” Head Coach Aaron Lund said. “As the day went on, the performances started to reflect that change as well. Regardless of temperature, our team brought a lot of positive energy, set a lot of season bests, and competed really hard today as we fight for more qualifying spots at the conference meet.”
Mackinzee Miest (Jr., Saint James) won the 5000-meter in 18:39.49 with Lily Engebretson (So., White Bear Lake) and Iliana Ramon (Jr., Fairmont) right behind. Kourtney Kulseth (Sr., New Richland) finished first in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:15.04. The 4×100 relay team of Danielle Miller (Fy., Waconia), Karley DeKnikker (Sr., Lake Preston, S.D.), DeAnna Giles (Sr., Plymouth), and Emilia Helms-Leslie (Jr., Fairbanks, Alaska) won with a time of 53.70.
In the field events, Madi Kes (Fy., Jordan) won the triple jump with a distance of 36-5. Annika Poe (So., Big Lake) placed first in the shot put with a throw of 42-2. Alexys Guidry (So., White Bear Lake) posted a distance of 128-1 in the discus to win the event. And Rachel Erickson (Jr., Starbuck) tossed the javelin 101-10 for first place.
Birgen Nelson (So., Edina) competed at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa and took fourth place in the 100-hurdles with a time of 14.36. The distance medley relay team of Elizabeth Donnelly (So., Langely, Wash.), Nelson, Sara Moen (Sr., Blaine), and Josie Blake (Jr., Waukegan, Ill.) took eighth at 12:42.13.
The Gusties next compete May 1 at Minnesota State-Mankato.