Saturday, December 9
Duluth, Minn.
11:30 A.M. CT (Field) | Noon CT (Track)
St. Cloud State
at
CSS Opener
Photo by: Ethan Halverson
St. Cloud State Track & Field Begins 2023-24 Indoor Campaign at CSS Opener
12/8/2023 1:55:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Huskies travel to Duluth for lone meet before holiday break
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Track & Field opens its 2023-24 indoor season with the College of St. Scholastica (CSS) Opener on Saturday at the Burns Wellness Commons in Duluth, Minn. Field events will start at 11:30 a.m. CT with running events scheduled to start at noon CT. Live results will be provided by Hero's Timing.
HUSKIES IN THE MEET
60 meters – Viola Okey-Ezealah, Katie Lavato
200 meters – Katie Lavato, Shelby Romig, Elena Martinez-Rodriguez, Ava Wilmanns, Myesha Thompson, Trinity Wallendal
400 meters – Makaylin Christenson, Jaileen Medina, Mady Muehr
600 meters – Mariana Guerra-Reese
800 meters – Hannah Little
Mile – Greta Freed, Erica Conrad, Paige Beason, Tegan Michalak, Alena Donahue
3,000 meters – Erica Conrad
60 hurdles – Shelby Romig, Trinity Wallendal
Long jump – Myesha Thompson, Elena Martinez-Rodriguez, Ava Wilmanns
Shot put – Savannah Reinke, Alicia Jennissen
Weight throw – Savannah Reinke, Alicia Jennissen
4x400-meter relay
PRESEASON POLLING
St. Cloud State Track & Field was selected to finish 11th in the 2023-24 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Indoor Preseason Coaches' Poll. SCSU has finished top-10 at the NSIC Indoor Championships in 14 of their 15 seasons as a member institution since joining the conference ahead of the 2008-09 season.
NEW LEADER OF THE PACK
Gabrielle Brown is in her first season as SCSU's head Track & Field/Cross Country coach. A three-time All-American
hurdler at Hamline, Brown joins St. Cloud State after three seasons as an assistant coach at Macalester. She is the first Black female head coach in the history of St. Cloud State Athletics.
ATHLETES TO WATCH
Senior sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) was named as the Huskies' Track Athlete to Watch. Lavato set her 60-meter dash personal best last year at the Gopher Classic (7.88), winning the event. She ran a season-best 26.50 in the 200-meter dash at the Maverick Invitational. Lavato finished the 2022-23 indoor season with five top-five event finishes and competed in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4x400 meter relay at the 2023 NSIC Indoor Championships. "Katie has been a huge part of the success the Huskies have had historically," said Brown, "Her time, efforts, persistence, and talents will set her up for a great competitive year ahead.
Senior jumper Elena Martinez-Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain) was recognized as the SCSU Field Athlete to Watch. Martinez-Rodriguez joins the Huskies this season after transferring from Georgian Court, an NCAA Division II school in Lakewood, N.J. Last indoor season for the Lions, she complied four top-five finishes and scored points in four events at the East Coast Conference (ECC) Indoor Championships. She finished fourth in high jump (1.50m/4-11), sixth in long jump (4.88m/16-0.25) and sixth in triple jump (10.53m/34-6.75). Martinez-Rodriguez finished the indoor season with season-best marks of 1.55m/5-1 in high jump, 5.1m/16-8.75 in long jump and 11.04m/36-2.75 in triple jump. "Elena has wonderfully shifted the dynamics for the jumps crew," said Brown, "Coming in with prior knowledge and experience she knows what it takes to be successful in her events."
THE SENIORS
Seven athletes will compete in their senior campaign in 2023-24 as graduate student Paola Breña (Queretero, Mexico) is joined by fifth-year Mariana Guerra-Reese (White Bear Lake, Minn.) along with true seniors, Erica Conrad (Ashwaubenon, Wis.), Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.), Elena Martinez-Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain), Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria) and Taryn Sargent (Huntley, Ill.).
THE JUNIORS
Four juniors compete for St. Cloud State this season, represented by Makaylin Christenson (Praire Farm, Wis.)
Greta Freed (Rochester, Minn.), Cambrie Kowal (Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.) and Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa).
THE SOPHOMORES
Three athletes make up this years sophomore class - Hannah Little (Grimes, Iowa), Jaileen Medina (Wheaton, Ill.) and Ava Wilmanns (Cedarburg, Wis.).
WELCOME TO THE PACK
The CSS Opener serves as the first collegiate track & field meet for the 11 freshman on the roster. They are Paige Beason (Ankeny, Iowa), Alena Donahue (West Salem, Wis.), Kyla Hendricks (Bay Port, Wis.), Alicia Jennissen (Sauk Centre, Minn.), Jenna Marxhausen (Two Harbors, Minn.), Tegan Michalak (Arcadia, Wis.), Mady Muehr (Greendale, Wis.), Audrey Rabitz (Manitowoc, Wis.), Savannah Reinke (Carrollton, Mo.), Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.) and Trinity Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.).
SCHEDULE RELEASE
SCSU Track & Field has announced its schedule ahead of the 2023-24 season. SCSU will compete in a total of five indoor meets before the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Championships (Feb. 23-24) and the NCAA Championships (Mar. 8-9). All five of the regular season indoor meets are in Minnesota and the NSIC Indoor Championships will also be held in Minnesota (Mankato). The 2023-24 NCAA Indoor Championships are set to take place in Pittsburg, Kan.
2023-24 St. Cloud State Indoor Track & Field Schedule
Date Meet Location
Dec 9 CSS Opener Duluth, Minn.
Jan 12 St. Thomas Invitational St. Paul, Minn.
Jan 27 Jack Johnson Classic Minneapolis, Minn.
Feb 9 Maverick Premier #1 Mankato, Minn.
Feb 16 BSU Twilight Bemidji, Minn.
Feb 23-24 NSIC Indoor Championships Mankato, Minn.
Mar 8-9 NCAA Indoor Championships Pittsburg, Kan.
*Note – Schedule is subject to change, stay up to date with changes on the Track & Field page on our site.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Track & Field, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
HUSKIES IN THE MEET
60 meters – Viola Okey-Ezealah, Katie Lavato
200 meters – Katie Lavato, Shelby Romig, Elena Martinez-Rodriguez, Ava Wilmanns, Myesha Thompson, Trinity Wallendal
400 meters – Makaylin Christenson, Jaileen Medina, Mady Muehr
600 meters – Mariana Guerra-Reese
800 meters – Hannah Little
Mile – Greta Freed, Erica Conrad, Paige Beason, Tegan Michalak, Alena Donahue
3,000 meters – Erica Conrad
60 hurdles – Shelby Romig, Trinity Wallendal
Long jump – Myesha Thompson, Elena Martinez-Rodriguez, Ava Wilmanns
Shot put – Savannah Reinke, Alicia Jennissen
Weight throw – Savannah Reinke, Alicia Jennissen
4x400-meter relay
PRESEASON POLLING
St. Cloud State Track & Field was selected to finish 11th in the 2023-24 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Indoor Preseason Coaches' Poll. SCSU has finished top-10 at the NSIC Indoor Championships in 14 of their 15 seasons as a member institution since joining the conference ahead of the 2008-09 season.
NEW LEADER OF THE PACK
Gabrielle Brown is in her first season as SCSU's head Track & Field/Cross Country coach. A three-time All-American
hurdler at Hamline, Brown joins St. Cloud State after three seasons as an assistant coach at Macalester. She is the first Black female head coach in the history of St. Cloud State Athletics.
ATHLETES TO WATCH
Senior sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) was named as the Huskies' Track Athlete to Watch. Lavato set her 60-meter dash personal best last year at the Gopher Classic (7.88), winning the event. She ran a season-best 26.50 in the 200-meter dash at the Maverick Invitational. Lavato finished the 2022-23 indoor season with five top-five event finishes and competed in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4x400 meter relay at the 2023 NSIC Indoor Championships. "Katie has been a huge part of the success the Huskies have had historically," said Brown, "Her time, efforts, persistence, and talents will set her up for a great competitive year ahead.
Senior jumper Elena Martinez-Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain) was recognized as the SCSU Field Athlete to Watch. Martinez-Rodriguez joins the Huskies this season after transferring from Georgian Court, an NCAA Division II school in Lakewood, N.J. Last indoor season for the Lions, she complied four top-five finishes and scored points in four events at the East Coast Conference (ECC) Indoor Championships. She finished fourth in high jump (1.50m/4-11), sixth in long jump (4.88m/16-0.25) and sixth in triple jump (10.53m/34-6.75). Martinez-Rodriguez finished the indoor season with season-best marks of 1.55m/5-1 in high jump, 5.1m/16-8.75 in long jump and 11.04m/36-2.75 in triple jump. "Elena has wonderfully shifted the dynamics for the jumps crew," said Brown, "Coming in with prior knowledge and experience she knows what it takes to be successful in her events."
THE SENIORS
Seven athletes will compete in their senior campaign in 2023-24 as graduate student Paola Breña (Queretero, Mexico) is joined by fifth-year Mariana Guerra-Reese (White Bear Lake, Minn.) along with true seniors, Erica Conrad (Ashwaubenon, Wis.), Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.), Elena Martinez-Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain), Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria) and Taryn Sargent (Huntley, Ill.).
THE JUNIORS
Four juniors compete for St. Cloud State this season, represented by Makaylin Christenson (Praire Farm, Wis.)
Greta Freed (Rochester, Minn.), Cambrie Kowal (Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.) and Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa).
THE SOPHOMORES
Three athletes make up this years sophomore class - Hannah Little (Grimes, Iowa), Jaileen Medina (Wheaton, Ill.) and Ava Wilmanns (Cedarburg, Wis.).
WELCOME TO THE PACK
The CSS Opener serves as the first collegiate track & field meet for the 11 freshman on the roster. They are Paige Beason (Ankeny, Iowa), Alena Donahue (West Salem, Wis.), Kyla Hendricks (Bay Port, Wis.), Alicia Jennissen (Sauk Centre, Minn.), Jenna Marxhausen (Two Harbors, Minn.), Tegan Michalak (Arcadia, Wis.), Mady Muehr (Greendale, Wis.), Audrey Rabitz (Manitowoc, Wis.), Savannah Reinke (Carrollton, Mo.), Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.) and Trinity Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.).
SCHEDULE RELEASE
SCSU Track & Field has announced its schedule ahead of the 2023-24 season. SCSU will compete in a total of five indoor meets before the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Championships (Feb. 23-24) and the NCAA Championships (Mar. 8-9). All five of the regular season indoor meets are in Minnesota and the NSIC Indoor Championships will also be held in Minnesota (Mankato). The 2023-24 NCAA Indoor Championships are set to take place in Pittsburg, Kan.
2023-24 St. Cloud State Indoor Track & Field Schedule
Date Meet Location
Dec 9 CSS Opener Duluth, Minn.
Jan 12 St. Thomas Invitational St. Paul, Minn.
Jan 27 Jack Johnson Classic Minneapolis, Minn.
Feb 9 Maverick Premier #1 Mankato, Minn.
Feb 16 BSU Twilight Bemidji, Minn.
Feb 23-24 NSIC Indoor Championships Mankato, Minn.
Mar 8-9 NCAA Indoor Championships Pittsburg, Kan.
*Note – Schedule is subject to change, stay up to date with changes on the Track & Field page on our site.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Track & Field, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps / Middle Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints / Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Middle Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps / Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps / Hurdles / Middle Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints / Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints / Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints / Jumps
/ Women's Track & FieldSCSU Winter Athletics Press Conference - Track And Field
Wednesday, December 13
Sound Check - Track & Field (Feat. Hannah Arason)- 3/9/22
Friday, August 25
Sound Check - Track & Field (Feat. Parker Buske) - 3/9/22
Friday, August 25
2019-20 St. Cloud State Senior Thank You!
Monday, May 04
