The Gustavus Adolphus women’s indoor track and field team was shut out of any event wins but tallied 12 top-five finishes as the Gusties finished fourth at Saturday’s Ted Nelson Classic hosted by Minnesota State University, Mankato. The host Mavericks won the event with 187 points, followed by North Dakota (165.5), Augustana (146), and Gustavus (93.5).
Janna Castellano (Sr., Blaine, Minn./Totino-Grace) placed fourth in the pole vault with a NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of 11 feet, 6 1/4 inches, while Sari Lindeman (Jr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) finished second in both the long jump (17-0) and triple jump (36-0) to lead the Gusties. Castellano, who missed tying the indoor school record in the pole vault by one-quarter inch, is ranked 12th in Division III in the pole vault as of Feb. 12.
The Gustavus distance medley relay team of Heidi Bulfer (Sr., Fairmont, Minn.), Jill Fagerstrom (So., Rosemount, Minn.), Samantha Madsen (Fy., Morgan, Minn./Cedar Mountain), and Raychal Zupancich (Jr., Ely, Minn./Memorial) added a second place finish (13:55.45), as did Kaelene Lundstrom (Fy., Bird Island, Minn./BOLD) in the shot put (40-10 1/2).
Madsen and Bulfer finished 3-4 in the 1000, with Madsen stopping the clock in 3:15.20 and Bulfer in 3:21.52. Zupancich added a fourth place finish in the 800 with a time of 2:35.28, just ahead of Kaylee Munson (Fy., Mankato, Minn./West) in fifth place, who posted a time of 2:40.10.
The Gusties also received fifth place finishes from Carlie Hanson (Sr., Buffalo, Minn.) in the 400 (1:01.99), Lindsey TeBrake (So., Shakopee, Minn.) in the high jump (4-9), and Anna Bauer (Fy., Hastings, Minn.) in the weight throw (41-5).
Gustavus returns to competition Saturday, Feb. 17 when the compete in the University of Minnesota Invitational in Minneapolis.