Friday, February 23
Mankato, Minn.
1:00 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
vs
NSIC Indoor Championships
St. Cloud State Track & Field Travels to NSIC Indoor Championships This Weekend
2/22/2024 6:15:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Huskies to compete February 23-24 at Myers Field House in Mankato
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Track & Field travels to Mankato this weekend for the 2024 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Indoor Championships set for Friday and Saturday, February 23-24 at Myers Field House on the campus of Minnesota State.
Friday's competition will begin with the field events at noon followed by running events starting at 1 p.m. The Pentathlon opens Saturday's competition at 9:00 a.m. followed by field finals at 1 p.m. with running finals beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The championship will have 14 women's teams competing. All-Conference performers shall consist of the top three place winners in each event and the members of the top two relay teams from the Conference meet.
Meet Information
NSIC Indoor Championships Home Page
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Fans attending the championship can purchase tickets at the door the day of the event (prices listed below).
For fans that cannot make it to Mankato, events will be streamed on the NSIC Network for a charge of $10 per day. Fans are encouraged to purchase access prior to the start of events as an account will need to be set up in order to access the championship. FAQ and troubleshooting information is available on the NSIC Network Help page.
Live results will be provided by Hero's Timing.
Ticket Information:
Cash or Credit accepted at the door
Adult (18+) - $10 per day
Youth/Students - $5 per day
Age 10 and under - Free
HUSKIES IN THE MEET
60m (3 p.m. Friday – prelims | 3:20 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Katie Lavato
400m (2 p.m. Friday – prelims | 2:40 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Katie Lavato
600m (2:30 p.m. Friday – prelims | 3 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Makaylin Christenson
1,000m (4 p.m. Friday – prelims | 4 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Paige Beason
5,000m (5 p.m. Friday – two section final) – Alena Donahue, Greta Freed, Cambrie Kowal, Tegan Michalak
60m hurdles (1:30 p.m. Friday – prelims | 2 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Shelby Romig
4x400m relay (5:30 p.m. Saturday – two section final)
Distance medley relay (1200, 400, 800, 1600) (1 p.m. Friday – one section final)
High jump (4 p.m. Friday) – Makaylin Christenson
Long jump (1 p.m. Friday) – Myesha Thompson
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, St. Cloud State Track & Field competed in the BSU Twilight at the Gillett Wellness Center on the campus of Bemidji State, leaving with six personal bests, two individual event wins and one relay win.
Junior hurdler Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa) ran a new personal best in the 60m (8.46), cutting almost a tenth off her time from a week ago in just her second collegiate race at that distance. She also recorded a win in the 60m hurdles (9.44), running her second fastest time of the season. She missed out on her season best time by one hundredth of a second.
Senior sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) picked up a pair of second place finishes. She ran her second best 60m time of the season (7.86) and ran a new personal best in the 400m (1:00.85), cutting over two and a half seconds off her time from the week before, which was her first ever collegiate race at the distance.
Freshman sprinter/hurdler Trinity Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.) set new personal bests in both of her races. She cut a tenth off her 60m time (8.54) in her second career race at the distance and ran a hundredth faster than her previous best in the 60m hurdles (10.08) that she ran the weekend prior.
Junior jumper/middle distance runner Makaylin Christenson (Prairie Farms, Wis.) won the high jump after not competing in the event for over two years (Jan. 28-29, 2022), jumping to a new career-best height (1.57m/5-1.75). She ran the 600m for the second time this season, finishing third.
Freshman distance runner Tegan Michalak (Arcadia, Wis.) shaved almost 20 seconds off her personal-best time in the mile, running 5:52.93 and freshman jumper/thrower Savannah Reinke (Malta Bend, Mo.) posted a new career best in the shot put (9.54m/31-3.75).
Freshman distance runner Paige Beason (Ankeny, Iowa) ran her first career 1,000m (3:16.78). Sophomore middle distance runner Jaileen Medina (Wheaton, Ill.) also raced the 1,000m for the first time in her career (3:30.24).
Freshman sprinter/jumper Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.) and senior sprinter Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria) competed in the high jump for the first time in their careers, placing third (1.42m/4-7.75) and fourth (1.37m/4-6) respectively.
Christenson, Medina, Thompson and Okey-Ezealah were on the winning 4x400m relay team (4:24.84).
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2023 NSIC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Huskies finished 10th as a team at last year's indoor conference championships after scoring 26.5 points.
Greta Freed and Cambrie Kowal raced the 5,000m, running 18:56.89 and 19:40.35 respectively. Freed was 15th and Kowal was 22nd. Shelby Romig raced the 60m hurdles and participated in the long jump. She was 15th in the hurdles (9.24) and 19th in the long jump (5.19m/17-0.5). Katie Lavato raced the 60m (7.96) and the 200m (26.61) finishing 19th and 21st respectively. Lavato and Guerra-Reese were on the 4x400m relay squad that finished 11th in 4:06.37.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Graduate student Paola Breña (Queretero, Mexico – Clinical Exercise Physiology) was bestowed with the prestigious Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction award on Jan. 25. The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is given to senior NSIC student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher, are exhausting their eligibility and are on track to graduate (student-athletes can only earn the award once). Each student-athlete is recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch.
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
Six 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) and Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria).
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 year's sophomore class – Hannah Little (Grimes, Iowa), Jaileen Medina (Wheaton, Ill.) and Ava Wilmanns (Cedarburg, Wis.).
WELCOME TO THE PACK
The CSS Opener served as the first collegiate track & field meet for the 11 freshmen 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.).
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Track & Field, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Friday's competition will begin with the field events at noon followed by running events starting at 1 p.m. The Pentathlon opens Saturday's competition at 9:00 a.m. followed by field finals at 1 p.m. with running finals beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The championship will have 14 women's teams competing. All-Conference performers shall consist of the top three place winners in each event and the members of the top two relay teams from the Conference meet.
Meet Information
NSIC Indoor Championships Home Page
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Fans attending the championship can purchase tickets at the door the day of the event (prices listed below).
For fans that cannot make it to Mankato, events will be streamed on the NSIC Network for a charge of $10 per day. Fans are encouraged to purchase access prior to the start of events as an account will need to be set up in order to access the championship. FAQ and troubleshooting information is available on the NSIC Network Help page.
Live results will be provided by Hero's Timing.
Ticket Information:
Cash or Credit accepted at the door
Adult (18+) - $10 per day
Youth/Students - $5 per day
Age 10 and under - Free
HUSKIES IN THE MEET
60m (3 p.m. Friday – prelims | 3:20 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Katie Lavato
400m (2 p.m. Friday – prelims | 2:40 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Katie Lavato
600m (2:30 p.m. Friday – prelims | 3 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Makaylin Christenson
1,000m (4 p.m. Friday – prelims | 4 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Paige Beason
5,000m (5 p.m. Friday – two section final) – Alena Donahue, Greta Freed, Cambrie Kowal, Tegan Michalak
60m hurdles (1:30 p.m. Friday – prelims | 2 p.m. Saturday – finals) – Shelby Romig
4x400m relay (5:30 p.m. Saturday – two section final)
Distance medley relay (1200, 400, 800, 1600) (1 p.m. Friday – one section final)
High jump (4 p.m. Friday) – Makaylin Christenson
Long jump (1 p.m. Friday) – Myesha Thompson
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, St. Cloud State Track & Field competed in the BSU Twilight at the Gillett Wellness Center on the campus of Bemidji State, leaving with six personal bests, two individual event wins and one relay win.
Junior hurdler Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa) ran a new personal best in the 60m (8.46), cutting almost a tenth off her time from a week ago in just her second collegiate race at that distance. She also recorded a win in the 60m hurdles (9.44), running her second fastest time of the season. She missed out on her season best time by one hundredth of a second.
Senior sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) picked up a pair of second place finishes. She ran her second best 60m time of the season (7.86) and ran a new personal best in the 400m (1:00.85), cutting over two and a half seconds off her time from the week before, which was her first ever collegiate race at the distance.
Freshman sprinter/hurdler Trinity Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.) set new personal bests in both of her races. She cut a tenth off her 60m time (8.54) in her second career race at the distance and ran a hundredth faster than her previous best in the 60m hurdles (10.08) that she ran the weekend prior.
Junior jumper/middle distance runner Makaylin Christenson (Prairie Farms, Wis.) won the high jump after not competing in the event for over two years (Jan. 28-29, 2022), jumping to a new career-best height (1.57m/5-1.75). She ran the 600m for the second time this season, finishing third.
Freshman distance runner Tegan Michalak (Arcadia, Wis.) shaved almost 20 seconds off her personal-best time in the mile, running 5:52.93 and freshman jumper/thrower Savannah Reinke (Malta Bend, Mo.) posted a new career best in the shot put (9.54m/31-3.75).
Freshman distance runner Paige Beason (Ankeny, Iowa) ran her first career 1,000m (3:16.78). Sophomore middle distance runner Jaileen Medina (Wheaton, Ill.) also raced the 1,000m for the first time in her career (3:30.24).
Freshman sprinter/jumper Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.) and senior sprinter Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria) competed in the high jump for the first time in their careers, placing third (1.42m/4-7.75) and fourth (1.37m/4-6) respectively.
Christenson, Medina, Thompson and Okey-Ezealah were on the winning 4x400m relay team (4:24.84).
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2023 NSIC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Huskies finished 10th as a team at last year's indoor conference championships after scoring 26.5 points.
Greta Freed and Cambrie Kowal raced the 5,000m, running 18:56.89 and 19:40.35 respectively. Freed was 15th and Kowal was 22nd. Shelby Romig raced the 60m hurdles and participated in the long jump. She was 15th in the hurdles (9.24) and 19th in the long jump (5.19m/17-0.5). Katie Lavato raced the 60m (7.96) and the 200m (26.61) finishing 19th and 21st respectively. Lavato and Guerra-Reese were on the 4x400m relay squad that finished 11th in 4:06.37.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Graduate student Paola Breña (Queretero, Mexico – Clinical Exercise Physiology) was bestowed with the prestigious Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction award on Jan. 25. The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is given to senior NSIC student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher, are exhausting their eligibility and are on track to graduate (student-athletes can only earn the award once). Each student-athlete is recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch.
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
Six 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) and Viola Okey-Ezealah (Lagos, Nigeria).
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 year's sophomore class – Hannah Little (Grimes, Iowa), Jaileen Medina (Wheaton, Ill.) and Ava Wilmanns (Cedarburg, Wis.).
WELCOME TO THE PACK
The CSS Opener served as the first collegiate track & field meet for the 11 freshmen 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.).
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 / 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
Sprints / Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints / Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints / Jumps
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