RIVER FALLS, Wis. — A week after squaring off against a field comprised of fellow teams from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Saint Mary's University track and field teams took their talents across the border — squaring off against a field predominately filled with teams from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
And the Cardinals put on quite a show.
Sydney Klausler (Lakeville, Minn.) and Garret Jackson (West Linn, Ore.) each recorded first-place performances, as the Cardinals closed out the afternoon with 21 Top 5 finishes at the non-team-scored UW-River Falls Winter Classic.
Klausler had a very busy afternoon for the Cardinal women — who had nine Top 5 showings — as the senior won the 60 in a time of 8.29, while added four-place efforts in both the 200 (27.74) and the long jump (4.99 meters).
Jackson, meanwhile, accounted for two of the SMU men's 12 Top 5 performances, stopping the clock in 23.12 to win the 200, while adding a 51.86 for a fourth-place showing in the 400.
Emily Kern (Buffalo, Minn.) delivered a second-place time of 5:44.22 in the mile and
Samantha Kubes (New Prague, Minn.) posted a second in the shot put (11.39m) and a third in the weight throw (13.87) for the SMU women, who also got fourths from
Nathalie Freire (Bloomington, Minn. / pole vault, 3.12m) and
Morgan Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis. / shot put, 10.60m), and a fifth from
Emmarie Byom (La Crescent, Minn. / pole vault, 2.37m).
Quinn Steinbrecher (Holmen, Wis.) and Aiden Gatz (Elburn, Ill.) each recorded seconds for the SMU men — Steinbrecher in the mile (4:49.44) and Gatz in the pole vault (4.52m) — with Isaiah Brindamour (Hinckley Minn. / 800, 2:04.16), Coleton Strupp (Holmen, Wis. / pole vault, 4.37m), and Sean Curran (Appleton, Wis. / weight throw, 16.20m) all chipping in third-place performances.
Other Top 5 finishes for the Cardinal men included: Dan Cooper (Belle Plaine, Minn. / fourth in triple jump, 11.71m; fifth in long jump, 6.21m), Frankie Bakalars (La Crosse, Wis. / fourth in weight, 15.92m), and Chris Bulwa (Glenview, Ill. / fifth in triple jump, 11.03m).
The Cardinals are right back in action next Saturday, heading to Northfield, Minn., to take part in the Meet of the Hearts, hosted by Carleton
