LA CROSSE, Wis. — Throwers took center stage for the Saint Mary's University track and field teams Friday evening at the Phil Esten Challenge.
 
Discus throwers, to be exact.
 
The Cardinals had five throwers take part in Friday's opening day of the Phil Esten Challenge, with Sean Curran (Appleton, Wis.) leading the charge, placing 12th in the men's event with a toss of 38.17 meters.
 
Frankie Bakalars (La Crosse, Wis.) and Casen Fritz (Minnesota City, Minn.) also competed for the Cardinal men, placing 22nd (35.11m) and 39th (28.19m), respectively.
 
Megan Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.) led the way for the SMU women, posting a throw of 29.78 meters to place 34th among the 51 competitors, while Samantha Kubes (New Prague, Minn.) chipped in a throw of 28.75 meters to finish 41st.
 
Kendra Klobe (Glencoe, Minn.) actually got things rolling for the Cardinals at the Phil Esten Challenge on Thursday night, competing in the 10,000, placing 57th with a time of 42:36.48.
 
The rest of the Cardinals will get their crack at the three-day meet, hosted by UW-La Crosse, on Saturday, with events kicking off at noon.