Elmhurst Invitational Results
UW-RF Men's Results / UW-RF Women's Results

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University track and field teams kicked off their 2009 outdoor season Saturday, splitting up and competing at both the Elmhurst Invitational, as well as the UW-River Falls Invitational.

And no one got their outdoor season off to a better start that Chris Fisette (Elmhurst, Ill.), who returned “home,” and gave his hometown crowded plenty to cheer about, as the SMU senior won the long jump with a leap of 6.56 meters, while also placing fifth in the 200 (23.31). Gia Puch (Des Plaines, Ill.) also returned to her home state to compete in Elmhurst, clocking a time of 13.97 to finish fifth in the 100.

While Fisette and Puch were busy wowing the home state faithful, the rest of the Cardinals were squads were strutting their stuff a state away at the UW-River Falls Invitational.

Curt VanAsten (Shiocton, Wis.) and Teri Heinzen (Marshfield, Wis.) each collected second-place efforts to pace the Cardinals at the non-team scored event. VanAsten breezed to a time of 58.57 to place second in the 400 hurdles, while Heinzen was second in the 200 (26.38) and third in the 100 (12.93).

Along with Heinzen's second-third performance, the Cardinal women also got a third and a fourth from Sara Harstad (Chatfield, Minn.) in the shot put (39-1 ¼ and the hammer (131-4), respectively, a fourth from Bridget Coffou (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.), and a fifth from Joanna Pace (Minocqua, Wis.) in the pole vault (9-0 ¼).

On the men's side, VanAsten also clocked a time of 16.55 to place sixth in the 110 hurdles, with Kevin Hein (Zumbro Falls, Minn.) adding a seventh in the discus (133-10) and Josiah Ryks (Austin, Minn.) an 11th in the 200 (23.32).

The Cardinals are back in action on April 17, when they host the UW-La Crosse Phil Esten Challenge at the SMU Track and Field Complex.