ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — Four meets into the indoor season, the College of Saint Benedict track and field team has already built impressive momentum in 2025–26, pairing event titles with a school record and nationally ranked marks.

Now the Bennies turn their attention to the Tostrud Classic at St. Olaf College on Friday, with events beginning at 5 p.m., carrying with them the confidence of a fast start and growing depth across every event group.

Tostrud Classic Awaits
Under veteran head coach Robin Balder-Lanoue, Saint Benedict has blended record-breaking newcomers with experienced veterans in a balanced early-season surge. That combination will again be on display Friday night as the Bennies look to continue their upward trajectory. Click here for live stats.

MIAC Weekly Honor and Valentine's Day Dominance
The early highlight came Feb. 14 at the CSB+SJU Valentine's Day Open, when junior Sabriya Farquharson (Nassau, Bahamas) delivered a standout performance to earn MIAC Field Athlete of the Week honors — the first weekly award of her career. A three-time MIAC champion in the jumps, Farquharson won both the triple jump and long jump with season-best marks, helping the Bennies pile up 212.5 points to capture the team title in Collegeville, Minn. She claimed the triple jump at 11.30 meters (37-1), a mark that ranks 27th in NCAA Division III, and added a long jump victory at 5.48 meters (17-11.75), which ranks 45th nationally in Division III. CSB totaled six event titles and 18 top three finishes, outdistancing Concordia Moorhead (165) and Southwest Minnesota State (134).

Bennies Deliver Season-Opening Statement
CSB's momentum began Jan. 24 when the Bennies won 11 events, recorded 26 top three finishes and scored 256 team points to run away from the field. St. Scholastica (72) and UW-Superior (51) trailed far behind. First-year Juslene Chea (St. Michael, Minn.) immediately made history. In her collegiate debut, she won the 60-meter hurdles in 9.13 — the second-fastest time in program history and a mark that ranks among the top 35 in NCAA Division III. She added a triple jump title at 10.60m. Senior Lauren Berg (Bemidji, Minn.) secured her 22nd career victory in the 400 meters, leading a 1-2-3 sweep with first-years Taylor Dean (Hutchinson, Minn.) and Macy Piechowski (Winona, Minn.). In the field, Jaylyn Ahlberg (Shoreview, Minn.) won the pole vault (3.26m), Drea Terwedo (LeSueur, Minn.) captured the high jump (1.54m), and Farquharson  opened with a long jump victory (5.08m). Allison Banse (Mankato, Minn.) led the throws with a shot-put win. On the track, Anna Gries (Minneapolis, Minn.) took the 60-meter dash, while Allee Feldman (Buffalo, Minn.) and Tiffany Dean (Hutchinson, Minn.) finished 1–2 in the 200 meters. Daphne Grobstein (Golden Valley, Minn.) won the 800, and Mary Kenney (Saint Paul, Minn.) earned her fourth career victory in the 3,000.

School Record Falls at CSB+SJU Invitational
Six days later, Chea (St. Michael, Minn.) raised the bar again at the CSB+SJU Invitational, breaking the school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a 9.11 to eclipse the previous mark of 9.12. It marked her second straight victory and moved her further up the Division III national list. CSB finished second as a team with 123 points, highlighted by four event titles and 22 top four finishes.
Taylor Radaich (Prior Lake, Minn.) won the 1,000 meters in 3:13.77. Kenney ran a personal-best 5:27.90 to place second in the mile, while Anabella Witschen (Monticello, Minn.) and Mollie Ping (Winona, Minn.) also placed among the top five. In the 4x400 relay, Berg, Tiffany Dean, Taylor Dean and Piechowski finished second, with another CSB quartet close behind. McKenna Flinn (Redwood Falls, Minn.) won the pole vault (3.38m), with Ahlberg and Lili Raidt (Waconia, Minn.) also placed in the top four. Farquharson and Hannah Scharnberg (Fergus Falls, Minn.) went 1–2 in the triple jump, and Banse added a runner-up finish in the shot put.

Bennies Have Strong Showing at the Gopher Classic
The upward climb continued at the Gopher Classic at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse, where the Bennies recorded 16 top eight finishes. Farquharson placed second in the long jump (5.39m), and third in the triple jump (11.19m). CSB swept the top two spots in the collegiate 4x400 relay. The winning team of Berg, Taylor Dean, Tiffany Dean  and Piechowski clocked a season-best 4:15.25. The runner-up relay featured Witschen, Brooke Verkinnes, Taylor Radaich (Prior Lake, Minn.) and Lydia Knight (Sartell, Minn.). Chea remained steady in the hurdles with a 9.13 finish and contributed in both jumps. Banse recorded a season- and indoor career-best 12.19m in the shot put. In the distance events, Kenney posted a season-best in the collegiate 3,000, while Abby Bufkin (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Rachel Olinger (Rosemount, Minn.) and Tatum Leibke (Lino Lakes, Minn.) added strong efforts.

At Valentine's Day Open, CSB showcases depth Across the Board
The Valentine's Day Open further showcased CSB's depth. Aside from Farqyharson's outstanding work in the field events, Taylor Dean won the 600 meters in a personal best 1:41.97, with Knight taking fifth in 1:48.14. Daphne Grobstein (Golden Valley, Minn.) captured the 3,000 in 11:03.18, just ahead of Julia Babineau (Andover, Minn.), who ran a season-best 11:04.78. Kenney won the 5,000 meters in 18:54.00 as CSB placed five runners in the top eight. The Bennies claimed six of the top eight spots in the 800 meters, led by Natalie Zielsdorf (Arden Hills, Minn.) in second (2:33.14) and Meaghan McDonald (Orono, Minn.) in third (2:35.22). In the pole vault, Flinn placed third at 3.27m (10-08.75), while Ahlberg and Raidttied for fifth and sixth, clearing the same height.

Berg's Veteran Leadership Continues to Shine
Beyond team meets, Berg (Bemidji, Minn.) clocked a career indoor best of 2:17.32 in the 800 meters at the Minnesota State Open, finishing second at the Ted Nelson Classic in Mankato, Minn. Her time ranks third all-time indoors at CSB.