Select members of the Gustavus men’s and women’s track and field teams took part in the first day of competition at the Division III NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships being held on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.
On the men’s side, the Gustavus 4×400-meter relay team consisting of Cole Carlson (Mora, Minn.), Max Hanson (Montrose, Minn.), Matt Leeb (Kasota, Minn.), and Colby Citrowske (Canby, Minn.) ran a 3:13.58 in heat #1 of qualifiers, placing them first in the heat and earning them a spot in the finals on Saturday at 4:55 p.m. The 4×400 relay team will run in lane five on Saturday, as Wheaton College turned in the top time in the event at 3:12.41.
On the women’s side, the Gustavus 4×400-meter relay team of Kaelene Lundstrum (Bird Island, Minn.), Abby Karl (St. Cloud, Minn.), Danielle Burgmeier (Plymouth, Minn.), and Amanda Iverson (Waconia, Minn) placed fifth in heat #2 with a time of 3:52.91. Their time was not fast enough to qualify for the finals on Saturday.
Lundstrum and Janey Helland (Mapleton, Minn.) represented the Gusties in the heptathlon. Lundstrum is currently in fifth place overall with 2818 points after day one. She took eighth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.59), ninth in the high jump (5’ 2.25), and second in the shot put (38’ 10.25”). Helland currently sits in 14th place overall with 2643 points. She finished 15th in the 100-meter hurdles (16.30), second in the high jump (5’ 4.50”), and 15th in the shot put (29’6.50”). The heptathlon will continue tomorrow with the long jump (12:00pm), javelin (1:30pm), and 800-meter run (3:00pm).
Gustavus’ Max Hanson and Sam Broderius (Hector, Minn.) are set to compete in individual events Friday, May 28. Hanson will run in the 800-meter run at 5:25pm, and Broderius will compete in the shot put at 5:00pm.
*All times are based on Eastern Standard Time