St. Cloud State Track & Field Opens New Year with Four Individual Event Winners in St. Paul

Friday, January 12

St. Paul, Minn.

2 P.M. CT (Field) | 4:30 P.M. CT (Track)

St. Cloud State

St. Thomas Invitational

Makaylin Christenson runs to a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash in the St Thomas Invitational at the AARC Fieldhouse in St. Paul, Minn. on Friday, Jan. 12

Photo by: Jacob Sanders

St. Cloud State Track & Field Opens New Year with Four Individual Event Winners in St. Paul

1/12/2024 11:13:00 PM | Women's Track & Field

Lavato, Christenson, Romig and Thompson take first for Huskies Track & Field at St. Thomas Invitational

ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Cloud State Track & Field opened the new year at St. Thomas and the St. Thomas Invitational on Friday at the AARC Fieldhouse in St. Paul with four individual champions.

Junior hurdler Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa) won the 60-meter hurdles in a near season best time of 9.62. Shortly after Romig took her first-place finish, freshman Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.) sealed a win in the long jump on her final attempt with a personal best jump of 5.29m (17-4.25). In the next event on the track, junior middle distance runner Makaylin Christenson (Prarie Farm, Wis.) won the 400-meter dash, running 1:03.19 which is just .03 off her season best. Just 25 minutes after placing second in the 60-meter dash finals (8.06), senior sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) took the 200-meter dash title in 26.97. Thompson also recorded a personal-best performance in the 200-meter dash (27.94).

Senior sprinter Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria) advanced to the 60-meter dash finals after running a new personal best time of 8.23 and went on to finish one place better than her seed. Freshman spinter/hurdler Trinity Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.) ran a personal best in the 200-meter dash (29.86). Fifth-year distance runner Mariana Guerra-Reese (White Bear Lake, Minn.) ran a new indoor personal best in the 800-meter run (2:18.70) and placed second in the event. Senior distance runner Erica Conrad (Ashwaubenon, Wis.) clocked a season best in the 3,000-meter run (11:34.29). Freshman jumper/thrower Savannah Reinke (Carrollton, Mo.) recorded a new personal best in the shot put (9.46m/31-0.5).

UP NEXT
The Huskies are idle next week and will compete the following week at the Jack Johnson Classic hosted by the University of Minnesota on January 27 at the Recreation and Wellness Sports Field Complex in Minneapolis, Minn.

St. Cloud State at the St. Thomas Invitational
Jan. 12, 2024 | AARC Fieldhouse | St. Paul, Minn.

60 meters (prelims)
2. Katie Lavato – 7.98Q
8. Viola Okey-Ezealah – 8.23q PR

60 meters (finals)
2. Katie Lavato – 8.06
7. Viola Okey-Ezealah – 8.29

200 meters
1. Katie Lavato – 26.97
8. Viola Okey-Ezealah – 27.79
9. Myesha Thompson – 27.94 PR
11. Makaylin Christenson – 28.16
14. Ava Wilmanns – 29.43
18. Trinity Wallendal – 29.86 PR

400 meters
1. Makaylin Christenson – 1:03.19

800 meters
2. Mariana Guerra-Reese – 2:18.70 Indoor PR

Mile
14. Paige Beason – 5:44.97
18. Tegan Michalak – 6:13.15

3,000 meters
7. Alena Donahue – 11:16.04
8. Cambrie Kowal – 11:16.12
9. Greta Freed – 11:31.98
10. Erica Conrad – 11:34.29 SB

60 hurdles
1. Shelby Romig – 9.62
5. Trinity Wallendal – 11.53

Long jump
1. Myesha Thompson – 5.29m (17-4.25) PR
9. Elena Martinez-Rodriguez – 4.99m (16-4.5)
9. Ava Wilmanns – 4.41m (14-5.75)

Shot put
14. Alicia Jennissen – 10.14m (33-3.25)
18. Savannah Reinke – 9.46m (31-0.5) PR

Weight throw
24. Savannah Reinke – 9.15 (30-0.25)
26. Alicia Jennissen – 8.53m (28-0)

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Track & Field, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.