By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
DECORAH, Iowa — Saint Mary's University track and field coach Niels Anderson will be the first to tell you that he loves going back to Luther — and it has nothing to do with the fact that Anderson went to school there.
 
But it has everything to do with the fact that competing at Luther seems to bring out the best in his Cardinals.
 
The Cardinals combined for two school records, 10 first-place finishes and 25 Top 5 performances en route to a pair of second-place team finishes at the Luther Invitational Saturday.
 
Kyle Lichttenegger and Christian Beamer led the way for the Cardinal men — accounting for four of the team's six first-place showings. Lichttenegger broke his own school record in the 55, clocking a winning time of 6.57, while adding a first-place leap of 6.71 meters in the long jump. Beamer, meanwhile, cleared 2.02 meters — breaking his year-old school mark — to win the high jump, and delivered a winning jump of 12.28 meters to take home the triple jump crown.
 
Tyler Amy added a first in the shot put (13.41m) and Sean Curran won the weight throw (15.04m). Jacob Hogan (400, 52.06), Jon Meaden (mile, 4:33.27), Coleton Strupp (pole vault, 3.66m), Thomas Walker (long jump, 6.39m), Jacob Homan (shot put, 12.38m), and Frankie Bakalars (weight throw, 13.31m) all recorded second-place performances, with Walker (triple jump, 11.98m), Homan (weight throw, 12.56m), Matt Boone (55, 6.71), and Anthony Pasquesi (long jump, 6.33m) collecting third-place efforts.
 
On the women's side, Sydney Klausler had a busy day, recording a pair of first-place finishes in the long jump (5.14m) and 400 (1:03.58), and adding a fourth in the 55 (7.67). Bailey Joens won the high jump (1.58m) and was second in the 55 hurdles (10.37), while Nathalie Freire posted a first in the pole vault (2.86m) and a fifth in the long jump (4.53m), and Anna Swanson added a second in the 55 (7.60).
 
The Cardinals are back on the road on Saturday, heading to Northfield, Minn., to take part in Carleton's Meet of the Hearts.