TJ Leverentz/Winonan

The Winona State University track and field team kicked off the postseason with the NSIC Indoor Conference Championship meet in Bemidji, Minn.

After two days of events, the Warriors posted a pair of top-three finishes on the final day to take fifth place.

The meet began on Feb. 28 with Elisa Kupferschmid, Hannah Mueller and the distance medley team earning top-five finishes in their respective events.

Kupferschmid clinched third place in the weighted throw with a distance of 17.99 meters. That distance also earned Kuperschmid an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Mueller totaled a distance of 5.52 meters to take fifth in the long jump.

The Warrior distance medley took fifth place. The combined effort of Amanda Kaiser, Katie Bagley, Madeline Tompach and Lauren Rusch totaled a time of 12:45.98. Catherine Whitcomb ran a time of 57.84 in the preliminaries of the 400-meter run to earn her provisional mark.

“These athletes had goals or expectations that they would hit a provisional mark,” Warrior head coach Mason Rebarchek said.

The two-day format is made up of preliminary runs on the first day and final runs on the second day. Five Warriors made it out of the preliminaries and to the final day.

Bagley recorded the best Warrior finish on day two. Her time of 1:36.10 earned her third place honors in the 600-meter run.

Bagley also helped the 4×400 meter relay team earn third place. Bagley, along with Whitcomb, Kelsey Bethke and Taylor Vogel ran a time of 3:56.35.

After earning a provisional qualifying mark on day one, Whitcomb earned a pair of top-five finishes to close out day two. Her time of 57.93 earned her a fourth place finish in the 400-meter. She also finished fifth in the 200-meter with a time of 25.71.

Bethke also made it out of the preliminary races in the 400-meter. She posted a time of 58.84 to take seventh.

Jordan Skelly rounded out the top five in the mile run. She totaled a time of 5:06.45. Skelly also finished eighth in the 5000-meter run.

Andrea Bartz and Annie Weinrich cracked the top ten in the triple jump. Bartz posted a distance of 11.30 meters to finish fifth, and Weinrich finished sixth with a distance of 11.10 meters.

Natalie Jech and Paige Garriga rounded out the group of Warriors to finish in the top ten. Jech finished eighth in the 1000-meter run with a time of 3:04.77. Garriga totaled a distance of 12.79 meters to take eighth in shot put.

Rebachek said the athletes are very ready for the postseason. “It’s not the regular season anymore,” Rebarchek said. “They know that if they make a mistake they don’t get another try, it’s preform or go home now.”

Freshman Brittany Dulak made the conference roster. Despite the raised stakes, Dulak said she is looking to have fun and enjoy the team’s success this season.

Over the two days the Warriors posted 55 points. The University of Minnesota-Duluth won the NSIC Indoor Conference Championship by totaling 143 points.

The indoor season wraps up March 14-15 with the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship in Winston-Salem, NC.