ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — Momentum, depth and confidence define the College of Saint Benedict track and field program as the Bennies open the 2026 season Saturday at the CSB/SJU Alumni and Friends Invite. The meet is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. inside the Donald McNeely Spectrum in Collegeville, providing the first competitive test for a roster of more than 70 student-athletes.

The Bennies will compete with teams from UW-Superior, Minnesota-Morris and St. Scholastica in the meet which kickoffs the season. Click here for live results.

 

Coming off fifth place finishes at both the 2025 MIAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, CSB enters the new season with a proven core of veterans, impactful underclass returners and a first-year class that has already strengthened the program's depth.

"We have a roster of over 70 women that is filled with energy, purpose and drive," said head coach Robin Balder-Lanoue, who enters her 28th season at the helm. "You can feel that energy in every practice. The first years have bought in and contributed to the team culture since day one, and the coaches are excited to see this team compete."

Balder-Lanoue, a five-time MIAC Coach of the Year, has guided the Bennies to top five finishes in 14 of the past 17 indoor conference championships and 12 of the last 16 outdoor championships. With that history, expectations remain high as the season begins, especially with the return of 11 student-athletes who earned All-MIAC or Honorable Mention All-MIAC honors.

Senior Jaylyn Ahlberg (Shoreview, Minn.) believes the pieces are in place for another strong year. Ahlberg captured both the indoor and outdoor MIAC pole vault titles in 2025 and has established herself as one of the program's most consistent performers.

"I feel like our team is very loaded overall," said Ahlberg, a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree. "We're all working really hard this preseason. No matter the win, it matters who my teammates are and who I'm doing it for — Saint Ben's and everyone on this team."

Ahlberg owns 17 career pole vault victories, including four straight wins at MIAC indoor and outdoor championships from 2024-25, and holds the third-best vault in school history at 3.76 meters (12-04), set in 2024.

Middle-distance runner Brooke Verkinnes (Saint Cloud, Minn.) also points to balance as a defining strength.

"We have strong people in every event," said Verkinnes, who earned honorable mention All-MIAC honors outdoors as a member of the 4x800-meter relay. "I think this year will be very good, and we should be able to do very well in our conference."

That balance has been reinforced by a first-year class that has meshed quickly with experienced returners. Senior hurdler Emma Schuele (Shakopee, Minn.) sees the blend as a key factor moving forward.

"We've had a really strong group of first years coming in, and we also have a very good group of returners coming back," Schuele said. "Those two groups together create a really strong, loaded team."

Leadership in the distance events comes from senior Mary Kenney (South Saint Paul, Minn.), who earned All-MIAC honors outdoors in 2025 by finishing third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal-best 11:17.98, the third-fastest time in program history.

Kenney, a 2025 CSC Academic All-District honoree, has recorded 29 career top eight finishes and three titles.

"For this season to go well, it's about knowing we showed up every day and gave 100 percent of what we had," Kenney said. "Showing up for our teammates and showing up for ourselves."
 

That approach fueled success a year ago. At the 2025 MIAC Indoor Championships, CSB finished fifth with 94.25 points, highlighted by Sabriya Farquharson (Nassau, Bahamas), who won the triple jump with a career-best leap of 11.40 meters. The mark ranked third all-time at CSB and placed her among the top performers in NCAA Division III. Overall, the Bennies produced five All-MIAC performances, eight honorable mention finishes and nine top 10 program marks during the indoor season.

The outdoor season followed a similar pattern. CSB again placed fifth at the MIAC Championships with 102.5 points, powered by two school records. Farquharson captured the triple jump title with a program-record leap of 11.76 meters (38-07), a mark that ranked fifth in the region and 27th nationally in Division III, giving her three career MIAC titles.

Senior Lauren Berg (Bemidji, Minn.) also returns after a standout 2025 campaign. Berg set a school record in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:02.18 at the MIAC Outdoor Championships and earned CSC Academic All-District honors. Indoors, she placed second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.65, the fourth-fastest in program history. Berg has earned All-MIAC honors in the 400-meter hurdles in three consecutive seasons and owns 12 career All-MIAC honors (six indoor, six outdoor), along with 49 career top three finishes and 21 career titles.

With Ahlberg, Farquharson and Berg leading the way, the Bennies totaled six All-MIAC performances, 13 honorable mention finishes and seven top 10 marks in program history at the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Championships.
With a strong foundation and increased depth entering 2026, CSB opens the season focused on steady progress — building toward another competitive run in the MIAC, one practice and one meet at a time.