Lavato Wins Two Events, St. Cloud State Track & Field Records Six Top-Five Finishes in Final Meet of 2024

Saturday, December 14

Burns Wellness Commons • Duluth, Minn.

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

St. Cloud State

The Opener

Katie Lavato @ NSIC Indoor Champs 2-23-23

Photo by: Jacob Sanders

Lavato Wins Two Events, St. Cloud State Track & Field Records Six Top-Five Finishes in Final Meet of 2024

12/14/2024 10:38:00 PM | Women's Track & Field

Results (TFRRS)

Seven Huskies post new personal best marks at The Opener in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Cloud State Track & Field closed out 2024 with its first road meet of the season at The Opener, hosted by St. Scholastica at the Burns Wellness Commons in Duluth on Saturday. Seven new personal bests and two season bests were set while SCSU posted six top-five finishes, highlighted by fifth year sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.), who won two events.

After running the second fastest time in the prelims of the 60 meters, Lavato came back and ran a personal best time of 7.76 to win the finals. She also won the 200 meters in a new indoor personal best time of 25.98.

Both Huskies in the 400 meters, sophomore sprinter Viola Okey-Ezealah (Part-Harcourt, Nigeria) and freshman multi-event athlete Kaylee Cooper (Loudon, Tenn.), ran to personal best times. Okey-Ezealah (1:07.36) finished fifth and cut nearly two seconds off her previous best from a week ago while Cooper finished eighth in 1:11.39.

Freshman distance runner Abbygail Nunez (South St. Paul, Minn.) ran a 12-second personal best in the mile (5:37.32) and finished second in her first career race of 600 meters (1:45.10). Sophomore distance runner Alena Donahue (West Salem, Wis.) finished fourth in the 3,000 meters in a new personal best time of 10:58.44, 18 seconds faster than her previous best from Jan. 12, 2024.

Senior Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa) recorded season bests in the 60 hurdles (9.77) and long jump (5.02m/16-5.75), while freshman sprinter, Jarai Kamara ran a new personal best time in the 60 meters (8.22), cutting 0.09 seconds off her best time from her collegiate debut a week ago.

St. Cloud State at The Opener
Dec. 14, 2024 | Burns Wellness Commons | Duluth, Minn.

60 meters (prelims)
2. Katie Lavato - 7.85q
11. Jarai Kamara - 8.22 PR
12. Zaria Stapleton - 8.30

60 meters (finals)
1. Katie Lavato - 7.76 PR

200 meters
1. Katie Lavato - 25.98 IDPR
11. Jarai Kamara - 27.19
18. Viola Okey-Ezealah - 28.17
25. Kaylee Cooper - 29.61

400 meters
5. Viola Okey-Ezealah - 1:07.36 PR
8. Kaylee Cooper - 1:11.39 PR

600 meters
2. Abbygail Nunez - 1:45.10

Mile
6. Abbygail Nunez - 5:37.32 PR

3,000 meters
4. Alena Donahue - 10:58.44 PR

60 hurdles (prelims)
7. Shelby Romig - 9.77q SB
11. Makaylin Christenson - 10.84
14. Trinity Wallendal - 13.19

60 hurdles (finals)
7. Shelby Romig - 9.86

Long jump
6. Makaylin Christenson - 5.14m/16-10.5
9. Shelby Romig - 5.02m/16-5.75 SB
11. Ava Wilmanns - 4.94m/16-2.5
12. Zaria Stapleton - 4.90m/16-1
16. Trinity Wallendal - 4.63m/15-2.25

Shot put
16. Mackenzie McMahon - 9.99m/32-9.5
17. Alicia Jennissen - 9.91m/32-6.5
23. Makaylin Christenson - 8.75m/28-8.5
33. Trinity Wallendal - 6.60m/21-8

Weight throw
8. Alicia Jennissen - 11.90m/39-0.5
16. Kim Feller - 10.95m/35-11.25
17. Mackenzie McMahon - 10.92m/35-10

Team Scores:
No team scores

Results (Hero's Timing)
Results (TFRRS)
Results (PDF)

UP NEXT
The Huskies return to action on Jan. 17 at the Tommie Indoor Invitational hosted by St. Thomas at the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex (AARC) in St. Paul, Minn. Links to coverage options will be available on the SCSU 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.