University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Open
Host Gophers Win 10 Titles
1/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden Gopher women's track & field team took home 10 event titles as the team hosted the Minnesota Open at the U of MN Fieldhouse Saturday. Minnesota won four field events and six events on the track in its first full meet of the 2017 season.
The Gophers dominated the throwing events as Kiley Sabin (shot put) and Agnes Esser (weight throw) won their respective events.
Sabin defended her Minnesota Open shot put title from a year ago, leading five Gophers in the top six of the shot put with a winning throw of 15.75m (51-08.25). In her official collegiate debut, Shay Nielsen was second (14.08m, 46-02.50), and Angie Guenther took third (13.63m, 44-08.75.).
Esser paced the field in the weight throw, recording a mark of 18.60m (61-00.25) in her season debut. Guenther was second with a career-best throw of 18.43m (60-05.75) followed by Nina Horvath in third with her own career-best throw at 18.03m (59-02.00) to move into 10th on Minnesota's all-time list.
The Gophers won two of the three titles in the jumps as Shanique Wright won the triple jump at 12.32m (40-05.00) and Taylor Wiebke won high jump at 1.78m (4-11.50). Heta Tuuri (1.74m, 5-08.50) was runner-up, and rookie Ashley Ramacher (1.66m, 5-05.25) finished third competing unattached.
On the track, the Gophers won the 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash, mile, 3,000-meter run, and the 4x400-meter relay.
Emma Spagnola won her third consecutive Minnesota Open title in the 60m hurdles in a meet-record 8.34 seconds. Kimberly Golding was runner-up in 8.35 seconds, and Rachel Schow took third in 8.74 seconds.
Fifth-year senior Tayler Whittler won the 60m dash in 7.54 seconds, making her debut with the Maroon & Gold after transfering from DePaul University. Whittler moved into seventh on the Gophers' all-time list. Rookie Brieasha Hobbs was runner-up in 7.63 seconds, and fellow freshman Maddie Gourley (7.79 seconds) came in third while competing unattached.
Emerald Egwim defended her 200m title from a year ago, leading the way in 25.27 seconds. Fellow Gopher Sophia Anderson, competing unattached, was second in 25.65 seconds, and Bolade Jinadu came in third in 25.93 seconds.
Tamara Gorman won the mile in a career-best 5:01.25, leading six Gophers in the top six places. Patty O'Brien was less than half a second behind Gorman in 5:01.54 for a runner-up showing, and Megan Hasz, competing unattached, was third in 5:02.60.
The 3,000m run saw the Gophers take 14 of the top 16 places led by Madeline Strandemo's 9:39.94 to win the event. Racing unattached, Bethany Hasz finished second in 9:47.25 and Abby Kohut-Jackson was third in 10:01.36.
Minnesota wrapped up the meet with five teams competing in the 4x400m relay. The unattached team of Sophia Anderson, Val Larson, Maleah Biermaier, and Erin Huls won in 3:55.01. Hobbs, Erin Hawkins, Schow, and Lindsey Smits ran 4:00.21 for second place, and Kat Keller, Spagnola, Jinadu and Allie Dugan finished third in 4:02.05.
Other highlights for the Gophers included Cami Gilson coming in second in pole vault, clearing a season-best 3.80m (12-05.50), and Paige Peschel leading nine Gophers in the 800-meter run in 2:14.75, finishing second overall.
Minnesota returns to action next weekend. The Gophers travel to Madison, Wis., for the third-annual Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual next Saturday, Jan. 21 while the non-travel group will remain home to compete locally at the St. Thomas Invite on Friday, Jan. 20.
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