Outdoor track & field races this weekend indoors

Colton Molesky
Staff Writer

Over the course of a week, the track team has been plenty busy with the Minnesota State Mavericks outdoor track and field season in full swing.

The Mavericks were forced to adjust quickly in April as their meet in Missouri between the MIAA and NCIS conferences was canceled due to weather on April 4. On April 11, the Mavericks played host for the Winter Invitational, following another cancellation, this one the Lee Krough Invitational.

Nevertheless, the Mavericks trucked on and hosted the Winter Invitational, as four athletes finished first in various events.

Junior sprinter, Henry Ivy, was first in the 100m dash after an 11:05 second time, while freshman Josh Phelps grabbed first in the 400m hurdles after bounding for a 57.20 second time. For discus, MSU’s Jayme LaPlante took first with a 48.42 meter toss, while freshman Griffin Ahrendt rounded out the first place accolades by leaping to a 12.43 meter triple jump. In the 1500m, freshman Jacob Wahlers nabbed a 4:05.06 endurance run.

The Mavericks had plenty of athletes put on a show in the afternoon for the Mavericks. Sophomore sprinter, Isaiah Rabata, took second in the 800m run with a 1:59.46 effort. In the pole vault, freshman Mark McPherson took third after a 4.12m bound.

The Mavericks took the performance and used it as a springboard into Iowa City, Iowa. At the Musco Twilight, in Iowa City, the 4x100m relay team (Vance Barnes, Reid Diamond, Tanner Ogren, and Paul Selman) made waves with a first place spurt to take first. Their 40.50 second effort made for the second-best time this season in Division II.

On April 12, the Mavericks sent five participants to the UW-Platteville Invite to represent MSU.

In the distance event, sophomore Austin Yardley and junior Caleb Burke finished 31st and 34th in the men’s event. Yardley went for a 15:05.38 mark, while Burke hit 15:08.32 time. For the women’s event, senior Erin Baker took 17th, junior Lily Paul snagged 34th and sophomore Carisa Weyenburg grabbed 39th. Baker posted a 17:46.17 time and Paul tallied an 18:12.90. Weyenberg rounded out the Mavericks day with an 18:16.15 showing.

Up ahead for MSU, Concordia-St.Paul will host an invitational in St. Paul before heading out to the West Coast. On the West Coast circuit, MSU will go run at MT. Sac Relay, before jumping down to the Bryan Clay Invitational. The trip will conclude with the Long Beach Invitational, after which the Mavericks come back to the Midwest.

Photo: (Jeremiah Ayodele/MSU Reporter)