St. Cloud State Track & Field Set to Close 2024 in Duluth

Saturday, December 14

Burns Wellness Commons • Duluth, Minn.

11:30 a.m. (Field) | 12:30 p.m. (Track)

St. Cloud State

The Opener

12/13/2024 2:16:00 PM | Women's Track & Field

Huskies to compete at St. Scholastica’s “The Opener” for second straight season

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Track & Field closes out the calendar year with its first road meet of the season on Saturday at The Opener hosted by St. Scholastica at the Burns Wellness Commons in Duluth. Field events will start at 11:30 a.m., with running events scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Live results will be provided by Hero's Timing. The meet's time schedule can be viewed here.

TEAMS AT THE MEET
Lakehead (Ontario), Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State, St. Scholastica, UW-River Falls (Wis.), UW-Superior (Wis.)

HUSKIES IN THE MEET
60 meters (prelims – 2:05 p.m. | finals – 3:20 p.m.) – Katie Lavato, Zaria Stapleton, Jarai Kamara, Shelby Romig, Jayla Patterson, Ava Wilmanns
200 meters (4:20 p.m.) – Katie Lavato, Jarai Kamara, Viola Okey-Ezealah, Makaylin Christenson, Ava Wilmanns, Kaylee Cooper, Zaria Stapleton
400 meters (2:55 p.m.) – Viola Okey-Ezealah, Kaylee Cooper
600 meters (3:40 p.m.) – Abbygail Nunez
Mile (2:30 p.m.) – Alena Donahue, MerriAnna Johnson
3,000 meters (4:50 p.m.) – Alena Donahue, MerriAnna Johnson
60 hurdles (prelims – 1:40 p.m. | finals – 3:05 p.m.) – Shelby Romig, Trinity Wallendal, Makaylin Christenson
Long jump – Ava Wilmanns, Shelby Romig, Makaylin Christenson, Zaria Stapleton, Trinity Wallendal
Shot put – Mackenzie McMahon, Alicia Jennissen, Makaylin Christenson, Trinity Wallendal
Weight throw (11:30 a.m.) – Alicia Jennissen, Kim Feller, Mackenzie McMahon, Savannah Reinke

PR SPOTLIGHT
Alena Donahue (Mile) 5:44.11 --> 5:40.50
Alicia Jennissen (Weight throw) 8.69m/28-6.5 --> 12.43m/40-9.5
Jarai Kamara (60 meters) 8.32 --> 8.31
Viola Okey-Ezealah (indoor 200 meters) 27.79 --> 27.55
Zaria Stapleton (60 meters) 8.10 --> 8.05
Ava Wilmanns (200 meters) 28.57 (tie)
Ava Wilmanns (Long jump) 4.89m/16-0.5 --> 5.05m/16-7

LAST TIME OUT
St. Cloud State Track & Field began the 2024-25 indoor season at the Battle for the Paddle dual meet vs. Bemidji State at the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse in St. Cloud on Saturday, Dec. 7. Six new personal bests were set while six athletes made their SCSU Track & Field Debut. It was the first time the Huskies hosted a home meet since 2014.

Six freshmen – Zharia Arnold (Burnsville, Minn.), Kaylee Cooper (Loudon, Tenn.), Kim Feller (East Helena, Mont.), Jarai Kamara, Mackenzie McMahon (Baraboo, Wis.), Abbygail Nunez (South St. Paul, Minn.), and Zaria Stapleton (Nassau, Bahamas) all made their SCSU Track & Field debut.

Stapleton and Kamara each set personal bests in the 60 meters finals after beating their respective times from the prelims. Junior Ava Wilmanns (Cedarburg, Wis.) set a new personal best in the 200 meters and long jump, while sophomore Viola Okey-Ezealah (Part-Harcourt, Nigeria) ran a new indoor personal best time in the 200 meters. Sophomore distance runner Alena Donahue (West Salem, Wis.) set a new personal best in the mile and sophomore thrower Alicia Jennissen (Sauk Centre, Minn.) recorded a new personal best in the weight throw.

St. Cloud State at the Battle for the Paddle
Dec. 7, 2024 | Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse | St. Cloud, Minn.

60 meters (prelims)
1. Katie Lavato - 7.80Q
4. Zaria Stapleton - 8.10q
5. Jarai Kamara - 8.32q
10. Olivia Witt - 9.48

60 meters (finals)
1. Katie Lavato - 7.78 SB
3. Zaria Stapleton - 8.05 PR
5. Jarai Kamara - 8.31 PR

200 meters
1. Katie Lavato - 26.55
2. Jarai Kamara - 27.01
3. Viola Okey-Ezealah - 27.55 IDPR
5. Ava Wilmanns - 28.57 PR
7. Kaylee Cooper - 29.60
9. Trinity Wallendal - 30.23

400 meters
1. Makaylin Christenson - 1:01.80
4. Viola Okey-Ezealah - 1:09.07
6. Kaylee Cooper - 1:11.79

Mile
1. Alena Donahue - 5:40.50 PR
2. Abbygail Nunez - 5:49.20

60 hurdles
3. Shelby Romig - 10.03
4. Trinity Wallendal - 10.17

4x400 relay
1. Makaylin Christenson/Viola Okey-Ezealah/Katie Lavato/Abbygail Nunez - 4:21.96

High jump
1. Makaylin Christenson - 1.53m/5-0.25

Pole vault
3. Olivia Witt - 2.50m/8-2.5

Long jump
3. Ava Wilmanns - 5.05m/16-7 PR
4. Shelby Romig - 4.90m/16-1

Shot put
4. Mackenzie McMahon - 10.41m/34-2
5. Alicia Jennissen - 9.97m/32-8.5
8. Kim Feller - 8.97m/29-5.25

Weight throw
3. Alicia Jennissen - 12.43m/40-9.5 PR
7. Kim Feller - 11.32m/37-1.75
8. Mackenzie McMahon - 11.10m/36-5

Team Scores:

Bemidji State - 61
St. Cloud State - 42

Results (Fast Finish Results)
Results (TFRRS)
Results (PDF)

PRESEASON POLLING
SCSU Track & Field was picked to finish 14^th in the 2024-25 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the league office on Dec. 5. The Huskies finished 14^th at the 2023-24 NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

"I am excited about this talented group of women," said head coach Gabrielle Brown, "We are returning a large portion of our roster this season with more experience."

ATHLETES TO WATCH
Fifth year sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) and sophomore sprinter/jumper Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis) were named the preseason athletes to watch by the NSIC.

Lavato, the Huskies track athlete to watch, set new personal bests in the 60 meters (7.77) and 400 meters (1:00.85) last indoor season. She notched seven top-five finishes, four top-two finishes and one event victory in the 2023-24 indoor season. At the NSIC Indoor Championships, she ran to her personal best time the 60 meters and competed in the 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay.

"Katie has the experience and the knowledge to do what it takes to be successful in this conference," said head coach Gabrielle Brown, "Her talent and efforts are felt as she has what it takes to elevate the program. It will be exciting to see how she puts it all together this year."

Thompson, the Huskies field athlete to watch, enjoyed a strong freshman campaign in 2023-24. Her personal bests in the long jump (18-4.25 / 5.59m), high jump (4-7.75 / 1.42m) and 400 meters came in the indoor portion of last year's season. She totaled three top-five finishes during indoor, including a long jump victory at the St. Thomas Opener. Thompson was the only Husky to score a point at the NSIC Indoor Championships, after her lifetime best leap was good enough to tie for seventh place. She also ran in the 4x400 relay at the championships.

"Myesha is a young talented leader that is excited and confident about the opportunities to grow," said Brown, "As she steps into her second season it will be fun to see the incremental successes she will continue to earn."

LEADER OF THE PACK
Head coach Gabrielle Brown enters her second season as SCSU's head Track & Field/Cross Country coach in 2024-25. A three-time All-American hurdler at Hamline, Brown joined St. Cloud State after spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Macalester. She is the first Black female head coach in the history of St. Cloud State Athletics.

THE SENIORS
Four athletes will compete in their senior campaign in 2024-25 as fifth year Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) is joined by true seniors, Makaylin Christenson (Prairie Farm, Wis.), Kendall Gonzalez (Waukesha, Wis.) and Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa).

THE JUNIORS
This year's junior class has two members – Hannah Little (Grimes, Iowa) and Ava Wilmanns (Cedarburg, Wis.).

THE SOPHOMORES
The 13 sophomores make up the largest class on the team – Paige Beason (Ankeny, Iowa), Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.), Alena Donahue (West Salem, Wis.), Alicia Jennissen (Sauk Centre, Minn.), Jenna Marxhausen (Two Harbors, Minn.), Tegan Michalak (Arcadia, Wis.), Mady Muehr (Greendale, Wis.), Viola Okey-Ezealah (Part-Harcourt, Nigeria), Audrey Rabitz (Manitowoc, Wis.), Savannah Reinke (Malta Bend, Mo.), Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.), Trinity Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.) and Olivia Witt (Delano, Minn.).

WELCOME TO THE PACK
There are 11 freshmen on this year's roster – Zharia Arnold (Burnsville, Minn.), Kaylee Cooper (Loudon, Tenn.), Kim Feller (East Helena, Mont.), Emma Hoppman (Red Wing, Minn.), MerriAnna Johnson (Oseola, Wis.), Jarai Kamara, Mackenzie McMahon (Baraboo, Wis.), Kinsey Mohwinkle (Aplington, Iowa), Abbygail Nunez (South St. Paul, Minn.), Jayla Patterson (Romeoville, Ill.) and Zaria Stapleton (Nassau, Bahamas).

SCHEDULE RELEASE
St. Cloud State Track & Field announced its indoor schedule on Dec. 5. The Huskies will compete in a total of six regular season meets before the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Championships (Feb. 28-Mar. 1) and the NCAA Championships (Mar. 14-15).

Five of the six regular season meets will be held in Minnesota with one in North Dakota. The NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships will also be held in Minnesota (Mankato), while the 2024-25 NCAA Indoor Championships are set to take place in Indianapolis.

SCSU opens its indoor season by hosting the Battle for the Paddle, its first home indoor track meet since 2014, in the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse on December 7. SCSU will close out 2024 at The Opener, hosted by St. Scholastica, in Duluth on December 13, before taking a month off from competition for winter break. The Huskies will return to action on January 17 when they travel to St. Paul for the Tommie Indoor Invitational, hosted by St. Thomas. St. Cloud State will close out its regular season schedule with the Jack Johnson Classic (Minneapolis – Jan. 25), the Bison Open (Fargo, N.D. – Feb. 7-8) and the Maverick Premier #1 (Mankato – Feb. 14).

The NSIC Indoor Championships are slated for February 28-March 1 and will be hosted by Minnesota State with the NCAA Championships scheduled for March 14-15 in Indianapolis.

2024-25 St. Cloud State Indoor Track & Field Schedule
Date(s)                      Meet (Host School)                                                              Location
Dec. 7                        Battle for the Paddle (St. Cloud State)                                 St. Cloud
Dec. 13                     The Opener (St. Scholastica)                                                Duluth
Jan. 17                      Tommie Indoor Invitational (St. Thomas) St. Paul
Jan. 25                      Jack Johnson Classic (Minnesota) Minneapolis
Feb. 7-8                    Bison Open (North Dakota State)                                           Fargo, N.D.
Feb. 14                     Maverick Premier #1 (Minnesota State) Mankato
Feb. 28-Mar. 1    NSIC Indoor Championships (Minnesota State) Mankato
Mar. 14-15              NCAA Indoor Championships (UIndy)                                   Indianapolis

*Note – Schedule is subject to change, stay up to date with changes on the Track & Field schedule page.

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