University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Music City Challenge
Golding Improves on Program Record
2/11/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 11, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Senior Kimberly Golding improved on her own Minnesota program record to win the 60-meter hurdles and Minnesota won the 4x400-meter relay as the Golden Gopher women's track & field team competed on day two at the Music City Challenge on Saturday.
"This was a great energy meet for our team," director of women's track & field and cross country Matt Bingle said. "We saw a lot of good PRs, but the team really poured into each other, and that's what made it fun today. It wasn't about the marks, it was just that everybody was all excited about each other and into each other's performances."
Golding and Emma Spagnola both advanced to the 60m hurdles final in a field of 53 athletes. Golding won in a program-record 8.16 seconds, taking 0.02 seconds off the Minnesota program record she set last season at 8.18 seconds. Meanwhile, Spagnola finished fourth overall in 8.28 seconds. Rachel Schow placed 21st in the first round as well.
"We had lots of lifetime bests across the board on the track," Bingle said. "Kim, breaking the school record, there's still plenty to go there, too. Emma tied her personal best today, and we saw a bunch of PRs in the 400m and 200m."
Emerald Egwim led the Gophers with a season-best time of 53.92 seconds in the 400-meter dash to place third, and two more Gophers recorded career-best times. Brieasha Hobbs moved into ninth in program history with a lifetime PR of 55.30 seconds to 10h place at the meet, and Bolade Jinadu recorded another 400m PR, her third of the season, at 55.64 seconds.
The Gophers also clocked the fifth-fastest time in program history in the 4x400-meter relay as the team of Erin Hawkins, Hobbs, Schow, and Jinadu ran 3:39.59 to win the Music City Challenge title and post the team's best 4x400m time of the season.
"It was just a really, really good team weekend," Bingle said. "It was a great weekend to be a Gopher. Everybody bought in, brought energy, and competed. That was the best part. It just makes you feel good because it was all about the team.
"That's what we want to see with a new, young group. We want to see the culture of fighting for each other, running for each other, and competing for each other. We're in a good spot."
In the field events, Saturday's action included Shanique Wright recording a mark of 5.39m (17-08.25) in the long jump while Kiley Sabin (15.56m, 51-00.75) and Shay Nielsen (14.80m, 48-06.75) placing seventh and 10th, respectively, in the shot put.
"With the throws, it was a very, very competitive meet, so it was good for them to see some heavy competition and learn how to react," Bingle said. "Yesterday, it was good to see Heta attempting the school record bar in the high jump as well."
The Gophers wrapped up their three-meet weekend on day two at the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday in addition to competing at the Music City Challenge. Minnesota also had a group compete locally at the UST Showcase hosted by the University of St. Thomas on Friday.
"It was a great team weekend," Bingle said. "It was good to get into a few different environments and face some different competition. We're where we want to be at this point of the season. We have a lot of great development and a lot of work still to be done, but we're in the right spot."
Next weekend, the Gophers return home to host the Parents Day Invite at the Minnesota Fieldhouse. Action is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. CT, and Gophers will honor their graduating seniors during the meet.
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