MINNEAPOLIS – The College of Saint Benedict track and field team continued its impressive showing in 2023-24 with a pair of program top-10 marks, two titles and 16 top-eight finishes at the Gopher Classic on Saturday.
For the fourth consecutive meet, sophomore
Jaylyn Ahlberg had a personal-best and third-best pole vault performance in school history. Ahlberg, a two-time St. Cloud Orthopedic/CSB Athlete of the Week and MIAC Field Athlete of the Week honoree on Jan. 22, finished fifth with a personal-best vault of 3.63m – 11-10.75. First-year
Ming Li Raidt was sixth with a personal-best of 3.18m – 10-05.25.
First-year
Sabriya Farquharson recorded a personal-best of 5.29 meters – 17-04.25 in the long jump which ranks tied for fourth all-time at CSB. With her performance, Farquharson finished third. She is tied with both BriAnne Erpelding in 2000 and Jenna Degen in 2017.
Senior All-American
Fiona Smith captured a pair of titles by winning both the 800-meters and mile run. In the 800 meters, Smith clocked 2:20.29 to lead three in the top six. Senior
Lucy Lyngen had a personal-best of 2:26.60 for fifth while junior
Kalli Smith was sixth in 2:26.70 also in the 800-meters. In the mile run, Smith's winning time of 4:53.08 was just off her career-best 4:52.88. Sophomore
Mary Kenney was 10
th with a personal-best of 5:28.27.
Senior
Kate Gallagher again registered a sub-8 second clocking with a 7.98 to place fourth in the 60-meter dash. It is just off her school record of 7.92 she clocked in December at the University of Minnesota.
The Bennies placed two in the top eight of the 600 meters as sophomore
Lauren Berg clocked 1:39.99 for third and sophomore
Meaghan McDonald finished eighth in 1:52.32.
In the 3,000-meters, the Bennies placed both seniors
Annie Kiolbasa (third, 10:47.77) and
Bridget Tetmeyer (4
th, 10:50.80) in the top four.
In the 200-meters, CSB had a pair of personal-bests as first-year
Grace Buntrock clocked 27.5 to finish sixth while
Sidela Nyuga was ninth in a personal-best of 27.69.
Senior Mirjana Ganley clocked 1:02.70 to place fifth in the 400 meters. Senior
Ellie Selisker was seventh in the triple jump at 10.35m – 33-11.50. Senior
Haley Joos finished ninth in the shot put by throwing 11.13m – 36-06.25.
In the relays, CSB finished second and fourth in the 4x400-meter relay. The team of Nyuga, Ganley,
Emerson Knapp and Berg clocked 4:14.39. Another squad of first-year
Anya Adelgren, K. Smith, Lyngen and first-year Annabella Witschen was fourth in 4:19.01.
Next Up - CSB will return home to host the CSB/SJU Quad on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minn.
