University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Win Five Events at Shamrock Invitational
3/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
The Minnesota women’s track & field team won five events at the Coastal Carolina Shamrock Invitational in Conway, S.C., over the weekend. The non-scoring meet was the first of the outdoor season for the Golden Gophers.
Sophomore Becca Pilkerton captured the first of three victories for the Gophers in the field events. Pilkerton won the pole vault clearing 12 feet, 5 1/2 inches, a height four inches better than her previous career best and the eighth-best height in school history.
Nikki Tzanakis won the discus with an effort with a toss of 158-7 with teammate Jessica Cagle placing second with a throw of 155-3. Todea-Kay Willis added a win in the long jump with a leap of 18-7 1/4.
Amy Laskwoske led the Gophers to a sweep of the top four places in the 5,000-meter run. Laskwoske won the event with a time of 16 minutes, 42.74 seconds and was followed by Gabe Anderson (16:46.64), Mallory Van Ness (16:54.92) and Meghan Mason (17:27.63).
Completing the list of Gopher wins was the 4x800-meter relay of Alena Brooks, Kathryn Ritter, Nikki Swenson and Jamie Dittmar. The foursome clocked a time o 8:51.01 winning the event by over 14 seconds.
The Gophers gathered three high finishes in the 1,500-meter run. Elizabeth Yetzer finished second in 4:29.34, followed by Swenson in third at 4:31.91 and Ritter in fourth at 4:35.97.
Other top-three finishes turned in by the Gophers came from Kelly Stalpes in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.63) and the 4x400-meter relay of Brooks, Rikita Butler, Stalpes and Dittmar (3:45.93).
Sophomore Becca Pilkerton captured the first of three victories for the Gophers in the field events. Pilkerton won the pole vault clearing 12 feet, 5 1/2 inches, a height four inches better than her previous career best and the eighth-best height in school history.
Nikki Tzanakis won the discus with an effort with a toss of 158-7 with teammate Jessica Cagle placing second with a throw of 155-3. Todea-Kay Willis added a win in the long jump with a leap of 18-7 1/4.
Amy Laskwoske led the Gophers to a sweep of the top four places in the 5,000-meter run. Laskwoske won the event with a time of 16 minutes, 42.74 seconds and was followed by Gabe Anderson (16:46.64), Mallory Van Ness (16:54.92) and Meghan Mason (17:27.63).
Completing the list of Gopher wins was the 4x800-meter relay of Alena Brooks, Kathryn Ritter, Nikki Swenson and Jamie Dittmar. The foursome clocked a time o 8:51.01 winning the event by over 14 seconds.
The Gophers gathered three high finishes in the 1,500-meter run. Elizabeth Yetzer finished second in 4:29.34, followed by Swenson in third at 4:31.91 and Ritter in fourth at 4:35.97.
Other top-three finishes turned in by the Gophers came from Kelly Stalpes in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.63) and the 4x400-meter relay of Brooks, Rikita Butler, Stalpes and Dittmar (3:45.93).
Players Mentioned
MD
/ Women's Track & Field
SPR
/ Women's Track & FieldTHR
/ Women's Track & Field
MD
/ Women's Track & FieldDIST
/ Women's Track & Field
PV
/ Women's Track & Field
DIST
/ Women's Track & Field
JU/SPR
/ Women's Track & Field
DIST
/ Women's Track & Field
THR
/ Women's Track & FieldDIST
/ Women's Track & Field
JU/SPR
/ Women's Track & Field
DIST
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