COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John’s track and field won 15 of the 18 events at its home invitational on Saturday, Feb. 12, in the Donald McNeely Spectrum.
The Johnnies recorded 33 top-three marks/times in a field that included participants from Concordia-Moorhead, Minnesota-Morris, the Minnesota Running Club, Division II MSU-Moorhead and the St. Cloud State Run Club.
SJU, led by junior Kevin Arthur’s (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) 6.94 seconds, claimed the three fastest times in the 60-meter dash. Seniors Ryan Miller (Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace) and Jack Young (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) followed in second (6.98) and third (7.16), respectively. Arthur also won the 200-meter sprint in 22.97 and Young was second (23.11).
The home squad also recorded the top three times in the 1,000 meters, led by sophomore Tommy Allen (Woodbury, Minn./St. Paul Academy) in 2:32.35. Juniors Alexei Hensel (Buffalo, Minn.) and Will Mattock (Maryville, Mo.) followed in second (2:33.92) and third (2:40.59). The times for Allen and Hensel are the MIAC’s top two in the event so far this season.
SJU swept the top three marks in the high jump, led by freshman Alec Ungar (Eden Prairie, Minn./Chanhassen) at 1.90 meters. Senior Sam Rademacher (Marshall, Minn.) and freshman Anthony Thurk (St. Bonifacius, Minn./Waconia) tied for second after both cleared 1.80 meters on their second attempt. Ungar also placed second in the long jump with a season-best mark of 6.44 meters.
Senior Shawn Schindler (Maple Grove, Minn.) led the SJU trio atop the pole-vault leaderboard with a height of 4.57 meters, and sophomore Joe Charbonneau (New Richmond, Wis.) and junior Joe Stauffer (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) tied for second (4.27 meters).
Junior Jared Stanke (Anoka, Minn./Elk River) and junior Maguire Petersen (Hutchinson, Minn.) went 1 (8.72)-2 (8.75) with season-best times in the 60-meter hurdles. Senior Michael Wallace (Nassau, Bahamas/St. Anne’s) and junior Elijah Wade (Waco, Texas/Vanguard College Prep) finished first (13.75 meters) and second (12.84 meters) in the triple jump. Wallace’s mark was his best this season and is first in the MIAC.
Junior Eli Mollet (Jefferson, S.D./Bishop Heelan Catholic, Iowa) won the weight throw with a toss of 16.97 meters and classmate Gavin Rupp (Villard, Minn./Minnewaska Area) was close behind in third (16.79 meters). The duo also finished in the shot put’s top three thanks to season-best marks, with Mollet second (14.38 meters) and Rupp third (13.95 meters).
SJU’s other individual event wins:
-Senior Omavi Collison (Nassau, Bahamas/St. Anne’s) in the 400 meters (51.99);
-Senior Dillon Diekmann (Lake Elmo, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) in the 3,000 meters (8:59.59);
-Senior Andy Goldsmith (Tulsa, Okla./Cascia Hall) in the 5,000 meters (15:34.45);
-Senior Brady Labine (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) in the 600 meters (1:26.12);
-Junior Tom Nemanich (Red Wing, Minn.) in the mile run (4:35.79);
The Johnnies’ 4×200-meter (1:32.82; Arthur, Miller, Young, Collison) and 4×400-meter (3:32.56; Hernandez, Allen, Hensel, Labine) relays both took first place.
Senior Nathan Meyer (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina) claimed second in the 3,000 meters (9:00.95), while juniors Nathan Clausing (Big Lake, Minn.) and Jorge Hernandez (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) took second in the 800 (2:04.73) 600 meters (1:28.81), respectively.
The Johnnies travel south to compete at Division II MSU-Mankato’s Maverick Invitational on Friday, Feb. 18.
