Sprints, Distance, and Jumps All Shine as Viterbo Finishes Second at Conference Meet
BOOKINGS, SD – The Viterbo University Women's Track and Field team finished second overall at the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Indoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday at the SDSU Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. The V-Hawks scored 196.25 points, behind champions Dickinson State (ND) with 296.50 points.
Breanna Ihde led the V-Hawks with a firsts place finish in the 400 meter dash (59.49), and a pair of second place finished in the 60 meter dash (7.75) and the 200 (25.94).
A trio of her teammates were right behind her in the 60 and 200, as Lana Yeakel was third in both races (7.89, 26.59), Claudia Schunk was fourth in the 200 (26.67) and fifth in the 60 (8.00), and Clair Shepardson was fifth in the 200 (26.71) and sixth in the 60 (8.04)
Schunk was also fifth in the 400 (1:01.09), and Jenna Norgel was the fifth V-Hawk to reach the finals in the 60, running an 8.35 to finish eighth.
In the distance events, Anya Hirsch captured gold in the 5000 meter run (19:22.80) and silver in the 3000 (11:17.27). Fellow V-Hawk Brenna McDonough was just behind her for second in the 5000 (19:23.51) and fourth in the 3000 (11:30.93). Madelyn Adam wasn't far behind in the 5000, capturing fourth with a time of 19:51.39.
Tori Gerber and Hannah Butler each scored for the V-Hawks in the 600 and 800, with Gerber finishing second (1:44.21) and fifth (2:36.06) and Butler going fifth (1:49.04) and sixth (2:26.97), respectively.
Three Viterbo athletes reached the finals of the 60 meter hurdles, as Shepardson's time of 9.09 earned her fourth, Emma Johnson's 9.57 was fifth, and Ashley Veronen's 9.69 was sixth.
Two V-Hawk relay teams had strong performances, as the 4x800 team of Butler, Gerber, Jerica Mueller, and Vanessa Thomas earned second with a time of 10:28.96, and the 4x400 team of Gerber, Veronen, Lainey Teynor, and Lauren Cole was fourth, running a 4:26.78.
In the field events, Viterbo would dominate the pole vault, as five of the seven scorers were V-Hawks. Johnson and Bailey Nuutinen each cleared 3.57m (11-08.50) with Johnson taking the tie-breaker for second place based on number of attempts. Tess Durscher and Emily Howell each passed 3.27m (10-08.75) with Durscher taking fifth in that tie breaker. And finally, Olivia Wingo was seventh, clearing 2.97m (9-09.00).
Yeakel claimed another podium finish in the long jump, with a leap of 5.28m (17-04.00) earning her second. Behind her, Grace Peyron was fifth (5.09m, 16-08.50) and Shepardson was sixth (5.03m (16-06.00).
The V-Hawks had two final medal recipients, as Miranda Kendall was second in the high jump (1.54, 5-00.50) and Alexie Stephani was third in the triple jump (10.32, 33-10.25).
Ihde, Shepardson, Johnson, Nuutinen, and Durscher return to Brookings March 2-4 for the the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships.