By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's and women's track and field teams unveiled their 2020 teams Saturday afternoon — and if their performances at the Cardinal Early Birdinal are any indication, Cardinal coach Niels Anderson is going to be one happy coach this season.
 
The Cardinals recorded seven first-place finishes — and posted 23 Top 3 performances — at the non-team-scored, season-opening event.
 
Kyle Lichttenegger (55, 6.62), Christian Beamer (triple jump, 12.74m), Tyler Amy (shot put, 12.79m), Jacob Hogan (400, 52.50), Jon Meaden (mile, 4:44.96), and Coleton Strupp (pole vault (3.80m) all took home first-place honors for the Cardinal men, while Sydney Klausler chipped in a first in the long jump (5.32m) for the Saint Mary's women.
 
Along with his first in the 55, Lichttenegger — who actually tied the school record in the preliminaries with a time of 6.59 — also delivered a second in the long jump (6.80m), while Matt Boone (200 (23.70), Thomas Walker (triple jump, 12.08m), Frankie Bakalars (weight throw, 13.17m), Jacob Tschida (800, 2:08.26), Matthew Stack (pole vault, 3.65m), and Axel Daood (3000, 9:46.54) also turned in second-place finishes.
 
Walker (long jump, 6.47m), Boone (55, 6.83), Jacob Homan (shot put, 11.84m), Sean Curran (weight throw, 13.17m), Braden Fritz (400, 59.95), and Tanner Moris (mile, 4:59.34) pitched in third-place efforts for the Saint Mary's men.
 
Along with Klausler's first-place showing in the long jump, the Saint Mary's women also got a second from Rachel Ohde (high jump, 1.53m), and thirds from Nathalie Freire (pole vault, 2.75m) and Molly Sweet (800, 2:51.36).
 
The Cardinals are back on the track next Saturday, as Saint Mary's travels to Menomonie, Wis., to take part in the UW-Stout Open.