Men’s Results | Women’s Results
NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s and women’s track & field teams are complete with day one at the MIAC Indoor Championships and both teams boasted finishes that reached the podium, including a sweep in the weight throw. After day one, the women are in ninth place with 21 points, while the men are in seventh place with 33 points.
Sam Fischer (Sr., Sauk Centre, Minn.) led the way for the men’s team as he claimed the gold medal in the weight throw with a distance of 57-11.75. Fischer becomes the seventh Gustie to win the weight throw at the MIAC Indoor Championships and first since Andy Klaers in 2007. Thomas Knobbe (Jr., Decorah, Iowa) and Paul Nordquist (Sr., Edina, Minn.) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 5000-meter with times of 15:02.26 and 15:06.52. Derek Huntley (Jr., Maplewood, Minn.) took third in the pole vault, clearing a season-best height of 14-11. David Hoien (Jr., South Haven, Minn.) was close behind in fifth place, clearing 14-7.25. Carston Dammann (Jr., Lake City, Minn.) also reached the podium with a fifth place finish in the mile with a season-best time of 4:26.27.
Sarah Swanson (Sr., Fairbanks, Alaska) highlighted the women’s team with a gold medal in the weight throw. Swanson set a personal record with a distance of 50-9.25 and becomes the fifth Gusties to win the weight throw at the MIAC Indoor Championships, and first since Dianna Scott in 2010. Lydia Hayes (So., Decorah, Iowa) took fourth in the 800-meter, clocking in at a season-best 2:19.43. The distance medley relay team of Courtney Branch (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.), Mikaela Algren (Jr., Prior Lake, Minn.), Abigail Schnabel (Fy., Hamburg, Minn.), and Sadie Novak-Klug (So., Waseca, Minn.) took fourth in 12:52.34. Kaitlin Bembenek (Sr., Prior Lake, Minn.) also reached the podium with an eighth place finish in the 400-meter with a season-best time of 60.62.
Fischer, Huntley and Swanson also earned All-Conference honors for their performances.
Day two of the MIAC Indoor Championships resumes at 11:45 a.m. Saturday.