Parker Burman – Staff Writer

This past weekend, February 25 and 26, the Gustavus Track and Field team traveled to Northfield to compete in the MIAC Indoor Championships at Carleton College. After day one of the two-day event, the Gustavus women were sitting in fourth place with 57.5 points, only 15.5 behind leading Bethel. When competition came to a close Saturday the Gusties had closed the gap to 9 and took second overall on the women’s side behind Bethel.
The women’s team received numerous All-Conference performances on the track from Sophomore Captain Birgen Nelson and Senior Captain Elizabeth Donnelly. While on the field they received an All-Conference performance from Junior Erin Beer along with strong performances from Sophomore Madi Kes and Junior Captain Annika Poe.
“It was super exciting (atmosphere), you could feel the difference compared to a normal meet. There is so much energy with so many more teams competing. Everyone is so competitive and supportive of each other,” Kes said.
On day one of competition the Gusties started strong. Nelson came in second in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8:14. While in the 800-meter run Donnelly finished second coming in at 2:14.13, just being edged out of first by less than seven-hundredths of a second. In the field, Kes posted a personal best in the long jump with a distance of 17-02 placing her sixth in the event.
Heading into day two, the Gusties were looking to build off of their strong performances from the first day of competition. Although trailing in overall points the women looked to make a big jump up the leaderboard with many of their field athletes not having had the chance to compete on day one.
Nelson’s strong season in individual events was capped off with a title in the 200-meter coming in at 25.77, beating teammate First-year Megan Gereats by two-hundredths of a second. “My thought going into the event was whether I got first or she got first, either way, it’s a Gustie on top,” Nelson said. In addition, she was a part of a second-place finish in the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:45.78 just shy of a school record.
Donnelly and Nelson teamed up to lead the 4×400 relay along with teammates Gereats and First-year Mekenna Huetten. When the race had finished they had broken a 22-year old school record with a lightning-fast time of 3:57.09, taking second in the race. That time places them in the Top-10 in Division III this season.
“I personally love running those relays, I really love my teammates. I think we provide a lot of support for each other,” Nelson said.
“I didn’t expect to break that one, we were all running on tired legs. I have broken school records individually before, but I feel it is more fun to do it with a relay because you are doing it with all your friends,” Donnelly said.
Donnelly wrapped up her performance at the Indoor Championships in the 600-meter, recording a time of 1:34.72 to secure the title.
In the field, Poe took home the title in the shot put with a throw of 45-3.5 securing the victory by more than a foot. Kes, following a personal best on day one, claimed the victory in the triple jump setting a facility record with a jump of 37-2.25.
“It was exciting. I was kind of pressured on the last jump because it was a deciding factor between first and second place. I just went for it. It was my last jump so I thought just do your best, which turned out really well,” Kes said.
Over in the high jump, Junior Erin Beer was entering just her second meet this season after battling an ankle injury and started as the number 18 ranked high jumper. There was no place but up for Beer who left it all out there moving from spot 18 into a tie for third place.
“No one expected me to do much so it was an opportunity to go and do what I can do. It really took the pressure off so it was nice to just get out there and compete” Beer said.
Securing a second-place finish and falling by just nine points to Bethel, the Gustavus women are confident and looking forward to their next competition. “I think being just nine points from a win is really going to get us working hard. I am really excited about the direction this women’s team is going,” Nelson said.
Poe shared the same sentiment as Nelson. “Overall I thought the girls did really well. We were right on their heels,” Poe said.
This coming weekend Gustavus will compete at the Wartburg Qualifier on March 4 and will then send athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships March 11-12.