|
SMU at Stout Open Friday, Feb. 17 |
 at  |
No slowing down as Cardinals get another provisional qualifier,
shatter three more school records at Stout's Blue Devil Invitational
MENOMONIE, Wis. — After the weekend the Saint Mary's University track and field teams put together last weekend at the Eastbay Invitational — a performance that included three NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship provisional qualifiers and seven school records — it would only be natural for the Cardinals to have an off-night Friday evening at the UW-Stout Invitational.
Fortunately, someone forgot to tell the Cardinals that.
The Cardinals' provisional qualifying trio of Megan Mason (Rochester, Minn.) Autumn Valk (Appleton, Wis.) and Beth Cleveland (Wausau, Wis.) welcomed a new member Friday evening, as Amanda Weinmann (Rochester, Minn.) provisionally qualified for the indoor national championships — and broke the school's shot put record in the process — as she won the shot with a toss of 12.94 meters.
Add to that school records in the 400 and pole vault, and Friday was anything but an off-night for the Cardinals.
"We're two weeks away (from the MIAC Indoor Championships), and I'm very happy with where we are at," said SMU coach Kirk Nauman. "This was another great meet for us. To have Amanda (provisionally) qualify in the shot was exciting — she's been working very hard and it finally paid off."
Mason and Maria Roche (New Prague, Minn.) were the Cardinals' other two school record-setters on Friday, as Mason broke her own mark in the pole vault, finishing second with a leap of 3.11 meters, while Roche posted a winning time of 59.26 in the 400.
Along with the three school records, the Cardinals also got a first-place effort from Cleveland in the weight throw (14.53 meters), and seconds from Valk in the 55 hurdles (8.67) and Mason in the high jump (1.61 meters). Ember Anderson (Blackbuck, Minn.) was third in the shot put (12.23 meters), while Katie Boisjolie (Austin, Minn. / 3,000, 10:57.53) and Sam Oreskovich (Prior Lake, Minn. / mile, 5:37.84) both finished fifth."
On the men's side, Dan Gerber (Belvidere,, Ill.) and Jon Pace (Minocqua, Wis.) posted seventh place efforts in the 200 (23.57) and the pole vault (3.66 meters), respectively.
"Each week we just seem to be getting stronger and stronger," said Nauman. "Hopefully that continues next week (at the Pre-MIAC Meet at Carleton) and on into the conference championships."