University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
University of Houston Cougar Invite
Gophers Begin Outdoor with Six Event Titles
3/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
HOUSTON, Texas - The Golden Gopher women's track & field team opened its 2018 outdoor campaign at the University of Houston Cougar Spring Break Invitational on Thursday. Minnesota won six events and recorded eight runner-up finishes after spending spring break training in Texas.
The Gophers won three events in the field events, including taking home event crowns in three of four throwing events as Temi Ogunrinde (hammer throw), Agnes Esser (discus), and Nicolle Murphy (javelin) claimed the top spot in their respective events.
Minnesota also won three events on the track as Titania Markland (800m) and Rachel Schow (400m hurdles) won individual events and the 4x400m relay team of Lindsey Smits, Emma Spagnola, Emerald Egwim, and Brieasha Hobbs also was victorious to lead the Maroon & Gold.
Ogunrinde used a throw of 63.30m (207-08) to win hammer throw, opening the outdoor season less than a meter shy of her PR and Minnesota school record mark of 64.01m (210-00).
The Gophers took the top three places in the discus led by Esser's winning throw of 54.35m (178-04). Nayoka Clunis made her Gophers' outdoor debut with a runner-up throw of 52.67m (172-10), good for 10th in Minnesota history, while Kiley Sabin threw 50.61m (166-00) for third place.
Murphy won the javelin with a throw of 52.00m (170-07) in her first collegiate competition since placing fourth in javelin at the 2016 NCAA Championship. Ayesha Champagnie finished second with a throw of 44.12m (144-09), and Ryan Crotty placed third (40.23m, 132-09) in her official collegiate debut.
On the track, Markland won the 800m in 2:11.35 while Val Larson was runner-up in 2:14.92. Schow and Spagnola led the way in both hurdles events as Schow won the 400m hurdles in 1:00.25 with Spagnola on her heels in 1:00.93 for second place. The 100m hurdles saw Spagnola finish second in 13.37 seconds with Schow in third in a career-best 13.64 seconds to move into fourth in Minnesota history.
The Gophers took the top two places in the 4x400m relay as the team of Smits, Spagnola, Egwim, and Hobbs won in 3:43.91. Erin Huls, Markland, Meleah Biermaier, and Larson ran 3:44.67 for second place as well.
Other top performances saw Taylor Wiebke (1.75m, 5-08.75) and Heta Tuuri (1.70m, 5-07.00) finish second and third, respectively, in high jump and Shay Nielsen place third in shot put with a throw of 14.81m (48-07.25).
Egwim added a runner-up showing in the 200m to her win with Minnesota's 4x400m relay, running 23.74 seconds to tie her career-best time and lead four Gophers in the event.
Minnesota is off from competition next weekend before resuming its outdoor slate at two two-day meets as the Gophers split the squad at the Ole Miss Classic and the Raleigh Relays on Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31.
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