University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Open
Gophers Claim 12 Titles at Minnesota Open
1/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Jan. 17, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - The Golden Gophers won 12 event titles, and freshman Heta Tuuri broke the Minnesota indoor program record in the high jump with a leap of 1.80 meters (5-10.75) as the women's track & field team opened its 2015 season by hosting the Minnesota Open at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse Saturday.
Along with Tuuri's record-breaking debut, fellow freshman Emma Spagnola won the 60-meter hurdles and clocked the second-fastest time ever by a Gopher in her first collegiate race. Spagnola posted a time of 8.64, just .06 seconds off the Minnesota program record of 8.58 held by Dawn Solberg, and set a new Minnesota Open record.
"I thought it was a good first meet," director of women's track & field and cross country Matt Bingle said. "A lot people did a good job of executing and competing and gave it a good mental effort, which is what we asked them to do. I was really happy with that.
"We had some really good performances, so that was exciting. We obviously have a long ways to go. We have to put our heads down and keep trying to get better every day."
In addition to Spagnola's 60m hurdle title, Minnesota picked up six more event titles on the track, claiming the 200-meter, 600-meter, 800-meter, mile, 3,000-meter and 4x400-meter relay crowns as well.
The Gophers cruised in the mid-distance races as Jamie Piepenburg won the mile (5:02.31), Lauren Domski won the 800m (2:16.37) and Titania Markland won the 600m in a career-best 1:32.60, just shy of cracking Minnesota's all-time top-10 and winning by nearly seven seconds.
Three Gophers finished in the top four in the 200m dash led by Erin Hawkins, who won in a Minnesota Open record 24.84 seconds. Jessica Waldvogel was second in 25.34, and Kat Keller placed fourth in an indoor career-best 25.89.
The Gophers took the top seven of the top eight places in the mile led by Piepenburg. Kaila Urick (5:02.52), Danielle Anderson (5:04.98), Anne Ferguson (5:08.13), Stacey Swatek (5:11.55) and Andie Zeman (5:15.85) finished second through sixth, respectively, and Chelsea Pettit (5:27.61) took eighth.
The 3,000m run saw Becca Dyson run the fastest time in the Big Ten so far this season, clocking a 9:38.04 for first place and leading a charge of 13 attached Gophers in the race.
Minnesota won five titles in the field events. Along with Tuuri's high jump crown, the Gophers won the pole vault, triple jump, shot put and weight throw.
"It was exciting to watch the weight throw today, and the pole vault was good," Bingle said. "Having Heta in the high jump was exciting. There were a lot of good things, but the biggest thing is to come out of the meet healthy and keep working."
Junior Cami Gilson cleared a career-best 4.05m (13-3.50) to win the pole vault. Senior Katie Murgic finished third (3.95m, 12-11.50), and two redshirt freshmen pole vaulters made their debuts in Maroon & Gold as Alex Flucke tied for fifth (3.55m, 11-7.75) and Allie Funk tied for eighth (3.40m, 11-1.75).
Kelly Flynn won the triple jump with a leap of 10.40m (34-01.50). Amanda Beckman led the Gophers in the long jump, finishing third at 5.43m (17-09.75).
Freshman Agnes Esser won the shot put with a collegiate debut throw of 13.97m (45-10.00) to lead four attached Gophers in the top six: Kailee Kamps (second, 13.95m, 45-09.25), Lyndsey Thorpe (fourth, 13.43m, 44-00.75), Allie Heifort (sixth, 13.24m, 43-05.25).
Devin Stanford moved into second among Gophers all-time in the weight throw with a first-place toss of 19.96m (65-06.00). Thorpe (19.21m, 63-00.25) and Angie Guenther (17.41m, 57-01.50) also recorded career-best throws to round out the top three, respectively. Thorpe moved into fifth all-time, and Guenther debuted at eighth in the program's top 10.
The Gophers face an early road test next weekend when they travel to Madison, Wis., for a new meet, the Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual, on Saturday, Jan. 24. The Gophers and Badgers will meet in the inaugural head-to-head Border Battle track & field showdown.
Gopher Event Champions
Emma Spagnola, 60m hurdles
Erin Hawkins, 200m
Titania Markland, 600m
Lauren Domski, 800m
Jamie Piepenburg, mile
Becca Dyson, 3,000m
4x400m relay
Heta Tuuri, high jump
Kelly Flynn, triple jump
Cami Gilson, pole vault
Agnes Esser, shot put
Devin Stanford, weight throw
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Players Mentioned
