University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Macalester Janis Rider Invite
Players Mentioned
No. 10 Gophers Break Two Records
4/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Emma Spagnola and Kiley Sabin both broke Minnesota program records and the Maroon & Gold won seven event titles as the No. 10 Golden Gopher women's track & field team competed at Louisville's Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
Spagnola won the 100m hurdles in a career-best 12.97 seconds to improve on the previous program record of 12.98 seconds, set by Kimberly Golding last season. Meanwhile, Rachel Schow also posted a career-best 100m hurdles time, finishing fourth at the meet and moving into third in Gophers' history with a time of 13.51 seconds.
Meanwhile, Sabin finished as shot put runner-up but improved on her own Minnesota program record with an outdoor career-best throw of 16.89m (55-05.00). Nayoka Clunis also recorded an outdoor PR at 16.04m (52-07.50) to place fourth at the meet and move into fifth in Gophers' history while Shay Nielsen posted a season-best throw of 15.35m (50-04.50) for sixth place.
In total, the Gophers recorded five all-time top-10 records at the meet as Lindsey Smits joined Spagnola, Schow, Sabin, and Clunis in rewriting the Minnesota record books on Saturday.
Smits won the 400m hurdles in a career-best 59.89 seconds, breaking 60 seconds for the first time in her career and moving into 10th among all-time Gophers in the event. Erin Huls (1:02.09) and Meleah Biermaier (1:02.73) finished seventh and ninth, respectively, as well.
Along with event titles by Spagnola (100m hurdles) and Smits (400m hurdles), the Gophers won titles in the 800m, javelin, pole vault, high jump, and discus on day two of the meet after Temi Ogunrinde won hammer throw on day one of the meet on Friday.
Titania Markland won the 800m run in 2:0816 while Val Larson was third in 2:11.83.
The Gophers went one-two in javelin as Ryan Crotty led the way with a throw of 42.45m (139-03) for first place, and Hannah Arason threw a season-best 41.91m (137-06) as runner-up.
Karlie Place won pole vault by clearing 4.02m in a jump-off after a four-way tie at 3.87m (12-08.25) during the competition; Heta Tuuri was the high jump champion at 1.74m (5-08.50). Lexi Kiefer placed fifth in pole vault (3.87m, 12-08.25) and Taylor Wiebke was fifth in high jump (1.64m, 5-04.50) as well.
Agnes Esser won her fourth discus crown of the season with a first-place throw of 56.35m. Sabin placed fifth (49.60m), and Clunis was eighth (48.18m).
The Gophers earned a runner-up finish in the 4x100m relay as Schow, Markland, Spagnola, and Emerald Egwim ran their second-best time of the season at 44.97 seconds.
Shanique Wright led the Gophers in triple jump with a mark of 12.26m (40-02.75) for fourth place. Lorean Murray jumped 12.01m (39-05.00) for ninth place as well.
The Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invitational hammer throw competition took place on Friday, and Ogunrinde won her fourth hammer title of the season with a throw of 67.07m (220-00). Esser finished third with a throw of 62.41m (204-09), followed by Clunis throwing 61.79m (202-09) for fourth place. Nina Horvath placed 10th with a mark of 49.26m (161-07).
Members of the team also competed locally at the Janis Rider Invitational hosted by Macalester College where attached Gophers won five titles: Sophia Anderson (200m, 400m), Sarah Klecker (1500m), Carissa Dock (3000m steeplechase), and Kelli Schmidt, Rachel Wians, Delaney FitzPatrick, and Kelsey Sather (4x400m relay).
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