At the MIAC Indoor Championship, the Gustavus Women’s Track team posted a respectable third place finish as a team, with some standout performances by individuals. The team also hopes the solid finish will carry over into the upcoming outdoor season.
As a whole, the team feels it is strong this year. “We have been building to the conference meet and working really hard,” Sophomore Allyson Voss said.
In addition, the team feels it is more well-rounded than in the past. “We do not have as many standouts, but we have an even balance,” Senior Sam Broderius said.
With this well-rounded team, the Gustavus women hoped to beat St. Thomas at the Indoor Championship. “So far, every year that I have been at Gustavus, we have taken second place in the conference meet to St. Thomas. This year, it [was] a pretty close race between St. Thomas, St. Ben’s and us,” Senior Megan Lundgren said.
However, a first-place finish was not to be. The Gusties tied for third place with Hamline, at 88 points apiece. St. Thomas won the MIAC title for the 12th straight year, coming in at 146 points. St. Benedict came in second place with 107 points.
Some individuals had outstanding performances in the Championship, with two Gusties prequalifying for NCAA Nationals. Senior Janey Helland took first place in the pentathlon and the long jump, and Broderius won the shot put. Both women had also prequalified for Nationals in previous meets.
Helland took first place in four of the five pentathlon events on her way to her first-place finish. Her performance also broke the MIAC record. She earned 3512 points, smashing the previous Championship record of 3445 points. That previous record was also set by a Gustie, Kaelene Lundstrom, in 2009.
With her score, Helland automatically qualifed for National. In addition, Helland prequalified for Nationals in the long jump, with a jump of 18’3.25”. “I am really excited for Nationals. I can’t believe it’s [coming so soon],” Helland said.
Broderius’s throw of 42’2.75” won her first place and was good enough to earn her a NCAA provisional distance. “I have a new technique this year, a throwing style that is supposed to be better. I have been getting used to it, and finally last week I was happy with my throw,” Broderius said. That successful new style translated to first place in the MIAC.
Other standout performers at the Indoor Championship included Lundgren, who earned first place in the 800m run and second in the 1000m run; Senior Abby Karl, who placed first in the 600m dash and fourth in the 800m run; Junior Megan Endresen, who earned fourth place in the weight throw; and the fourth place 4x400m relay team of Helland, Lundgren, Erica Roelofs and Karl.
Next for Helland will be Nationals—March 11-12 in Columbus, Ohio—while the rest of the team will be hard at work practicing for the outdoor season. “I’m looking forward to the outdoor season, and the three weeks of training and practice will really help me,” Voss said.
Due to weather conditions, the track season is split into two halves, the indoor and outdoor parts. Having the two seasons allows winter athletes to participate in track, too. “We will get a few winter-sport athletes on the team for the outdoor season, which is helpful,” Lundgren said.
The team is excited to get outside finally and remains hopeful for the coming season. “It’s fun to be outside. It is a different atmosphere, and … team members have a different attitude. We add more events and have better performances when we’re outside,” Broderius said.
Another reason the team has to be hopeful for the outdoor season is the strong performance by younger athletes. “The [first-years] have really stepped up this season. You never really know how the [first-years] are going to do, but ours this year have done really well,” Helland said.
Team members also noted their cohesion as a positive aspect of the coming season. “Our team this year is incredibly cohesive. The last couple years, with coaching changes, it has been a little bumpy. This year, though, everyone knows everyone, and it’s only the beginning of March. I think it has made our performance better,” Broderius said.