ST. PAUL, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict track and field team continued its strong outdoor campaign Wednesday at the Joe Sweeney Invitational, hosted by the University of St. Thomas, turning in a deep and balanced performance against a field that featured NCAA Division I, II and III programs. The Bennies recorded 14 top-four finishes and 20 top-eight efforts on the day. In addition, the performance include four marks in the program top 10.

Leading the way on the track, Juslene Chea (St. Michael, Minn.) placed second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.20. She was joined by a strong group in the event as junior Anya Adelgren (St. Paul, Minn.) finished fourth with a season-best 16.14, junior Chloe Ostrem (Mendota Heights, Minn.) took fifth in a season-best 16.77 and senior Emma Schuele (Shakopee, Minn.) added an eighth-place finish with a personal-best 17.52.

In the field events, junior Sabriya Farquharson (Nassau, Bahamas) posted a runner-up finish in the triple jump with a season-best leap of 11.43 meters (37-6.00), a mark that ranks 39th in NCAA Division III. The Bennies placed three in the top five of the event, with Samantha Solheid (New Prague, Minn.) finishing fourth with a season-best 10.14 meters (33-3.25) and Hannah Scharnberg (Fergus Falls, Minn.) taking fifth at 10.10 meters (33-1.75).

Sophomore Allison Banse (Mankato, Minn.) delivered one of the top throws in program history in the shot put, placing third with a personal-best mark of 12.88 meters (42-3.25). The throw ranks 50th in Division III this season and stands third all-time outdoors in program history.

On the track, senior Lauren Berg (Bemidji, Minn.) turned in a strong performance in the 400 meters, clocking a season-best 1:02.62, just shy of her career-best mark, and currently ranking 19th in Division III.

The Bennies also showed depth in the pole vault, led by senior Jaylyn Ahlberg (Shoreview, Minn.), who placed fifth with a season-best clearance of 3.62 meters (11-10.50), ranking 43rd nationally. Junior Lili Raidt (Waconia, Minn.) was sixth at 3.47 meters (11-4.50), ranking 83rd in Division III, while sophomore McKenna Flinn (Redwood Valley, Minn.) took seventh at 3.32 meters (10-10.75).

In relay action, Saint Benedict placed third in the 4x100-meter relay as the quartet of Grace Buntrock (Rochester, Minn.), Anna Gries (Minneapolis, Minn.), Myah Nelson (Brainerd, Minn.) and Bella Lund (Mound, Minn.) combined for a season-best time of 49.52. The Bennies also placed three teams in the top eight of the 4x400-meter relay. The top group of Taylor Dean (Hutchinson, Minn.), Anna Schottler (Shakopee, Minn.), Haley Zelen (Shakopee, Minn.) and Berg (Bemidji, Minn.) finished fourth with a season-best 3:59.62, a time that ranks 63rd in Division III. Another squad of Tiffany Dean, Anabella Witschen (Monticello, Minn.), Taylor Radaich (Prior Lake, Minn.) and Macy Piechowski (Winona, Minn.) placed fifth in 4:13.84, while the team of Bailey Link (Brush, Minn.), Mariah Brooks (Rochester, Minn.), Brooke Verkinnes (St. Cloud, Minn.) and Lydia Knight (Sartell, Minn.) finished eighth in 4:24.50.

Elsewhere in the field events, junior Drea Terwedo (Le Sueur, Minn.) cleared 1.53 meters (5-0.25) to place fifth in the high jump.

Additional strong individual performances included junior Haley Zelen (Shakopee, Minn.), who ran a personal-best 59.17 to place seventh in the 400 meters, a mark that ranks eighth all-time at Saint Benedict. Junior Bella Lund (Mound, Minn.)  recorded a personal-best 12.44 to finish eighth in the 100 meters, a mark that ranks eighth all-time at Saint Benedict. Lund also was ninth-place finish in the 200 meters with a personal-best 25.91, which ranks 10th in program history.

In the distance events, senior Mary Kenney (St. Paul, Minn.) posted an eighth-place finish in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best time of 17:41.99. The Bennies also saw a pair of top-seven finishes in the javelin, as sophomore Parker Pollis (Richfield, Minn.) threw 29.19 meters (95-9) and junior Emily Koch (Otsego, Minn.) followed in seventh at 28.29 meters (92-9).

Rounding out the meet, junior Anabella Witschen (Monticello, Minn.) recorded a personal-best 2:19.78 in the 800 meters, while junior Taylor Radaich (Prior Lake, Minn.) placed eighth in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:50.38.