Track & Field claims first place in Mark Schuck Open
Bobbi Patrick
Staff Writer
After a successful weekend at the Division II invite last weekend, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks competed Jan. 25-26 at the Mark Schuck Open and Multi held in Mankato.
Friday, the pentathlon and heptathlon started their competition, as well as many athletes went for school records in some unique events.
Freshman Zoe Stone scored for the team placing 6th in the pentathlon.
Senior Jack Curtis placed 2nd overall in the men’s heptathlon and senior Calvin Buesgens placed 4th, both earning points for the team as well.
Sophomore Mackenzie Woodard won the 300-meter dash with a time of 40.77 and the record held by Jeri Domes from 1984 is 40.38. Woodward was less than .30 seconds to beating the time.
On the men’s side, John Schuster ran a new school record in the 500-meter dash. The old record, held by Jerrell Hancock from 2012 was a 1:04:26, and Schuster ran a 1:03:28.
The Mavericks also held another new event to indoor, 400-meter hurdles.
Junior Leroy Kwateh and freshman Drew Lewison tied the event both running a 55.80. On the women’s side, sophomore Chelsey Bad Moccasin ran a 1:06.45.
Other event standouts included the 400-meter dash where Schuster and sophomore Josh Phelps went 1st and 2nd, a race that ranks both of their times top 10 in the nation.
Sophomore Autumn Anderson placed 4th in the 400-meter dash with a 59.98, scoring points for the team.
Junior Carolyn Hackel snagged 1st place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.91.
In the high jump, Teya Langston won on the women’s side with a jump of 1.62, while on the men’s side, Deveyon Brown placed second with a 1.94-meter jump and also placed 3rd in the long jump with a jump of 6.53 meters.
Liz Brunner placed second in the women’s triple jump with an 11.72-meter jump.
Elijah Calderon-Pitchford and Victor Ogeka placed 2nd and 1st in the triple jump, respectively, with Calderon-Pitchford jumping a 14.58-meter jump and Ogeka jumping a 14.67 jump.
In the throws, Katie Taylor won the shot put and weight throw for MSU with a 15.36-meter mark in the shot and a 19.09-meter throw in the weight. The sophomore was recently named NSIC’s Athlete of the Week.
On the men’s side, Connor McCormick placed 5th with a 17.86-meter mark in the weight throw, while Jayme LaPlante earned 2nd in the shot put with a throw of 15.77 meters.
The Mark Schuck multi and invite was recently renamed this year from the MSU Open to honor the longtime coach Mark Schuck.
Jeff Decock was also honored at this meet along with his family.
Decock, a successful MSU high jumper and student who passed away unexpectedly in May 2017, left a memorable mark on the MSU Track and Field program when he left. The high jump event was renamed in his honor.
Up next for the track stars is their next meet on Saturday, Feb. 2 at home for the Ted Nelson Classic. The Mavericks look to ride the momentum heading into the next meet of the season.
Feature Photo: Minnesota State’s Grace Hartman receives the baton from her teammate Gabi Gaines during the women’s 4×400 meter relay during the Mark Schuck Open & Multi Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Myers Field House in Mankato, Minn. Minnesota State placed first in the event, and won the meet as a team. (Mansoor Ahmad | MSU Reporter)