COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — The College of Saint Benedict track and field team opened the indoor season in dominant fashion Saturday, piling up victories across the track and in the field to capture the team title at the CSB/SJU Alumni and Friends Meet inside the Donald McNeely Spectrum in Collegeville.

St. Ben's claimed 11 event wins, recorded 26 top-three finishes, and finished with 256 team points to comfortably outdistance the field. St. Scholastica placed second with 72 points, followed by UW-Superior with 51. CSB will remain at home next weekend when it hosts the CSB/SJU Invitational on Friday, Jan. 30, again at the Donald McNeely Spectrum.

Several Bennies made immediate impacts, led by first-year Juslene Chea (St. Michael, Minn.), who enjoyed an impressive collegiate debut by winning two events. Chea captured the 60-meter hurdles in 9.13, narrowly missing a school record while posting the second-fastest time in program history and a mark that currently ranks 35th in NCAA Division III. Junior Chloe Ostrem (Mendota Heights, Minn.) followed in second at 10.20, while junior Anya Adelgren (St. Paul, Minn.) placed fourth in 10.25. Chea also claimed the triple jump title with a leap of 10.60 meters (34-09.50), while sophomore Anna Gries (Minneapolis, Minn.) finished second at 10.28 meters (33-08.75).

Senior Lauren Berg (Bemidji, Minn.) continued her decorated career by earning her 22nd career victory, winning the 400 meters in 1:01.51. St. Ben's swept the top three spots in the event, with first-year Taylor Dean (Hutchinson, Minn.) finishing second in 1:02.50 and first-year Macy Piechowski (Winona, Minn.) taking third in 1:04.44.

In the field events, senior Jaylyn Ahlberg (Shoreview, Minn.) claimed the pole vault title by clearing 3.26 meters (10-08.25), while sophomore McKenna Flinn (Redwood Valley, Minn.) matched the height to place second. CSB racked up points in the jumps, capturing four of the top five spots in the high jump. Junior Drea Terwedo (LeSueur, Minn.) won the event with a clearance of 1.54 meters (5-00.50), while sophomore Kiera Stommes (Eden Valley, Minn.) placed third at 1.51 meters (4-11.50). In the long jump, junior Sabriya Farquharson (Nassau, Bahamas) claimed her first victory of 2026 with a jump of 5.08 meters (16-08.00). The Bennies took five of the top seven spots, highlighted by a second-place finish from first-year Morgan Hanlin (Red Wing, Minn.) at 5.05 meters (16-07.00).

In the throws, sophomore Allison Banse (Mankato, Minn.) opened the season with a win in the shot put, posting a throw of 11.42 meters (37-05.75). Junior Christian Smith placed second at 10.36 meters (34-00.00) and added a third-place finish in the weight throw at 13.83 meters (45-04.50).

Senior Mary Kenney (South Saint Paul, Minn.) added another milestone to her résumé, winning the 3,000-meters in 11:03.92 for her fourth career victory in the event. CSB dominated the race with four of the top five finishers, as sophomore Mollie Ping (Winona, Minn.) placed second in 11:31.36, first-year Addisyn Giles (Belle Plaine, Minn.) took third in 11:33.57, and senior Tatum Leibke (Lino Lakes, Minn.) finished fifth in 11:42.65.

Sophomore Anna Gries (Minneapolis, Minn.) sprinted to victory in the 60-meter dash in 8.41, leading a strong CSB showing that included junior Grace Buntrock (Rochester, Minn.) and senior Myah Nelson (Brainerd, Minn.), who both clocked 8.58. Sophomore Allee Feldman (Buffalo, Minn.) led a 1-2 finish in the 200 meters, winning in 28.64, while first-year Tiffany Dean (Hutchinson, Minn.) followed in 29.44.

Middle-distance events also produced strong results for CSB. First-year Daphne Grobstein (Golden Valley, Minn.) won the 800 meters in 2:27.18, marking her first collegiate victory. Senior Brooke Verkinnes (St. Cloud, Minn.) finished second in 2:30.83, while junior Taylor Radaich (Prior Lake, Minn.) placed fourth in 2:32.40. Junior Anabella Witschen (Monticello, Minn.) added a runner-up finish in the mile, clocking 5:38.21.