St. Cloud State Track & Field Finishes Third at Luther Invitational, Claims Five Event Wins

Saturday, April 5

Carlson Stadium • Decorah, Iowa

11 a.m. (Field) | 1 p.m. (Track)

St. Cloud State

Luther Invitational

Katie Lavato @ CSB/SJU Invitational 4-20-24

Photo by: Jacob Sanders

St. Cloud State Track & Field Finishes Third at Luther Invitational, Claims Five Event Wins

4/5/2025 8:18:00 PM | Women's Track & Field

Wayzata Results TFRRS PDF

Lavato (100 and 200 meters), Christenson (high jump), Woefel (pole vault) and 4x400 meter relay record first place finishes for Huskies

DECORAH, Iowa – St. Cloud State Track & Field impressed at the Luther Invitational, at Carlson Stadium in Decorah, Iowa on Saturday. The Huskies placed 3^rd out of 10 teams after compiling 121 points. SCSU recorded five event wins, 16 top-5 finishes, six new personal bests and four season bests.

Fifth year sprinter Katie Lavato (Buffalo, Minn.) won the 100 (12.23) and 200 (25.61) meters, picking up her first event win since Jan. 31 when she won the 60 and 200 at the CSB Quad. Senior jumper/middle distance runner Makaylin Christenson (Prairie Farm, Wis.) won the high jump (1.60m/5-3) for her first event since Jan. 31 when she won the high jump at the CSB Quad. Freshman Lauren Woelfel (Becker, Minn.) won the pole vault (3.50m/11-5.75) in just her second career meet after not clearing opening height in her first meet.

Freshman sprinter Emma Hoppman (Red Wing, Minn.) ran to new personal bests in the 200 meters (27.33) and 400 meters (1:02.55). Her 400 time earned her a fourth-place finish and is the fastest of any Husky this outdoor season.

Freshman sprinter/hurdler Zaria Stapleton (Nassau, Bahamas) recorded new personal best times in the 100 (12.88) and long jump (4.95m/16-3) to place sixth in both events. For the second week in a row, freshman multi-event athlete Kaylee Cooper (Loudon, Tenn.) ran to new personal best in the 200 (28.82).

In their first time competing in the event, Christenson and sophomore sprinter Viola Okey-Ezealah (Port-Harcourt, Nigeria) finished third and fourth respectively in the triple jump. Okey-Ezealah also placed fifth in the 100 after running a new personal best time (12.84).

Sophomore distance runner Alena Donahue (West Salem, Wis.) was third in the 5,000 meters, after running a new season best time of 18:55.13, just over 20 seconds faster than she ran in the outdoor opener on March 14. Senior jumper/hurdler/middle distance runner Shelby Romig (Ankeny, Iowa) set a new season best mark in the long jump (4.81m/15-9.5) by nearly two feet. Sophomore thrower Savannah Reinke (Malta Bend, Mo.) posted season best mark in the javelin throw (35.73m/117-2) by just under six feet.

The quartet of Lavato, Hoppmann, Christenson and Okey-Ezealah won the 4x400 meter relay in a new season best time of 4:09.43 and sophomore sprinter/jumper Myesha Thompson (Mount Horeb, Wis.), Lavato, Okey-Ezealah and freshman sprinter Jayla Patterson (Romeoville, Ill.) finished second in the 4x100 (49.35).

St. Cloud State at the Luther Invitational
April 4, 2025 | Carlson Stadium | Decorah, Iowa

100 meters
1. Katie Lavato - 12.23
5. Viola Okey-Ezealah - 12.84 PR
6. Zaria Stapleton - 12.88 PR
12. Jayla Patterson - 13.19
21. Kaylee Cooper - 13.96
30. Shelby Romig - 14.53
31. Ava Wilmanns - 14.54
34. Lauren Woelfel - 14.71

200 meters
1. Katie Lavato - 25.61
5. Zaria Stapleton - 27.00
10. Emma Hoppmann - 27.33 PR
11. Jayla Patterson - 27.49
23. Kaylee Cooper - 28.82 PR

400 meters
4. Emma Hoppman - 1:02.55 PR

800 meters
5. Abbygail Nunez - 2:28.36
8. Alea Briggs - 2:32.68
9. Hannah Little - 2:33.73

1,500 meters
7. Abbygail Nunez - 5:09.72

5,000 meters
3. Alena Donahue - 18:55.13 SB

4x100 meter relay
2. Myesha Thompson/Katie Lavato/Viola Okey-Ezealah/Jayla Patterson - 49.35
9. Emma Hoppman/Ava Wilmanns/Jenna Marxhausen/Lauren Woelfel - 56.23

4x400 meter relay
1. Katie Lavato/Emma Hoppman/Makaylin Christenson/Viola Okey-Ezealah - 4:09.43 SB
4. Jenna Marxhausen/Abbygail Nunez/Alea Briggs/Kaylee Cooper - 4:31.10

High jump
1. Makaylin Christenson - 1.60m/5-3

Pole vault
1. Lauren Woelfel - 3.50m/11-5.75
13. Olivia Witt - 2.30m/7-6.5

Long jump
4. Myesha Thompson - 5.10m/16-8.75
6. Zaria Stapleton - 4.95m/16-3 PR
7. Shelby Romig - 4.81m/15-9.5 SB

Triple jump
3. Makaylin Christenson - 10.68m/35-0.5
4. Viola Okey-Ezealah - 10.36m/34-0

Shot put
7. Mackenzie McMahon - 11.39m/37-4.5

Discus throw
12. Mackenzie McMahon - 34.77m/114-1
19. Kim Feller - 31.89m/104-7
25. Savannah Reinke - 25.09m/82-3

Hammer throw
10. Kim Feller - 37.35m/122-6
19. Savannah Reinke - 32.00m/105-0

Javelin throw
2. Savannah Reinke - 35.73m/117-2 SB
7. Kim Feller - 30.75/100-10
8. Makaylin Christenson - 30.67m/100-7

Team Scores:
3^rd of 10 teams (121 points)

Results (Wayzata Timing)
Results (TFRRS)
Results (PDF)

UP NEXT
The Huskies travel to Fargo, North Dakota next weekend for the NDSU Spring Invitational on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12. 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.