Track and field ready for NSIC Indoor Championship

Track and field ready for NSIC Indoor Championship

Barry Allen, Sports Reporter

Winona State University’s track and field team competed Friday night at the Maverick Invitational in Mankato, Minnesota.

Almost becoming a recurring theme for the team, was another week of record-setting efforts.

Seniors Ali Johnson, Brittany Schyvinck and Hope Willenbrink and junior Anna Rogahn made up the distance medley relay team that took first place with a time of 11:50.74. The time set a new school record and beat the previous one by over four seconds. Rogahn and Johnson were both part of the team that set the record last year.

Another school record was set in the field events as sophomore Kristi Springer jumped a new personal best of 11.82 meters in the triple jump, which landed her a first-place finish, and was enough to beat her record from last year by three-quarters of an inch.

Senior Tamika Tucker also posted a first-place finish with a distance of 5.67 meters in the long jump, while junior teammate Taylor Juresh finished third in the same event with a distance of 5.45 meters. Senior Tamara Price placed third for the Warriors with a mark of 1.55 meters in high jump.

The Warriors 4×400 relay placed first in their race on Friday, with the team of sophomore Kalley Harris, first-year Brooklyn Schyvinck, her sister Brittany and first-year Shereen Vallabouy bested the field with a time of 3:47.85. Both of the Winona State relay teams achieved NCAA Provisional marks..

First-year Maddy Pietz ran a career-best time of 25.98 seconds that was fast enough to win the 200m dash, while senior Kari Schneiss outlasted three of her teammates to win the 400m dash with a new season-best time of 58.82 seconds. Junior Johnna Patterson (59.50), first-year Kendall Zeman (59.84) and senior Amanda Wanie (1:01.24) finished second through fourth.

With the NSIC Indoor Championships coming up and the season winding down, some of the Warrior athletes reflected on the season and shared their favorite aspects of the Winona State track and field team.

“My favorite part of being on the WSU track team is getting to do what I love with the people that I love,” junior thrower Kacey Davitt said. “My teammates are all so amazing on and off the track.”

Senior jumper Emma Severson added that she enjoyed the family-like atmosphere of the team.

“My favorite part about being on this team is the closeness of it. I never would have expected to have 40 plus really great girl friends that push me each day to be better than I was yesterday,” Severson said. “I know I can go to any of them, and any of my coaches, for anything track-related or not. It’s really amazing to have a team become a second family.”

The Warriors will return to Mankato next weekend for the 2019 NSIC Indoor Championships on Feb. 22-23.