Falcons Snag Second at WLC Green & White Invite

MEQUON, Wis. -The CUW women's track and field team competed on Saturday at the Wisconsin Lutheran College Green & White Invite, while two heptathletes wrapped up their second day of competition at the Augustana Meet of Champions.

At Augustana, sophomore Elizabeth Van Rixel (Athens, Wis.) finished the heptathlon in 20th place with 2,259 points. Van Rixel added 256 points in the long jump with a distance of 3.72 meters and 272 points in the javelin with a throw of 19.07 meters before capping her day off running the 800-meter with a top-ten finish of 2:48.12, earning her seventh while collecting 483 points.

Meanwhile, senior Kaitlynn Sabish (Campbellsport, Wis.) took 21st, totaling 1,357 points. In the long jump, Sabish leaped a distance of 3.46 meters, while she recorded a throw of 16.72 meters before running a 3:16.67 in the 800-meter race.

At the Green & White Invite, the Falcons placed second overall with a combined score of 141 points, while Division II UW-Parkside took first with 155 team points.

CUW's second-place finish was the highest of any Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) school participating in the competition.

For the second straight week, senior MaryGrace Cleinmark (Danvers, Ill.) took gold in the 10,000-meter run, finishing first with a time of 42:32.69. CUW continued to soar in the 10,000-meter run, as senior Abigail Van Rixel (Athens, Wis.) finished behind Cleinmark and claimed eight team points with her second-place finish of 44:53.72.

The distance squad also shined in the 5,000-meter race, as freshman Emma Ahrens (Stephens City, Va.) took first with a time of 18:00.64. Quickly following Ahrens was senior Anessa Yim (Spokane, Wash.), as she crossed the finish line 14 seconds later with a time of 18:14.46. In fourth was sophomore Abby Poehlman (Hubertus, Wis.) at 19:15.75, while freshman Abigail Lange (Pleasant Prairie, Wis.) recorded a time of 21.11.70 for eighth place and one team point.

In the 1,500, sophomore Melanie Arvis completed the race with a time of 5:03.11, leading CUW in fifth place and snagging four points for the Falcons. Meanwhile, sophomore Ainara Sainz de Rosas (Madrid, Spain) took eighth for one point, completing the race at 5:05.73.

Meanwhile, the 4x100-meter relay squad comprised of junior Maya Hielscher (Macomb, Mich.), senior Jenna Zahorik (Reedsville, Wis.), freshman Lorin Laney (Columbus, Ohio), and senior Sabrina Moore (Park Ridge, Ill.) continued their excellent spring season as they took first in the event, recording a combined time of 50.83 seconds, adding ten more points to CUW's total.

The flock also secured points in the 4x400-meter relays, as freshman Mikayla Becker (Plantation, Fla.), sophomore Danielle Van Grinsven (Appleton, Wis.), Melanie Arvis, and freshman Olivia Ebel (Mt. Clemens, Mich.) put together a time of 4:28.76 for fourth place and five team points.

Sabrina Moore also contributed points in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.99 seconds for sixth place overall.

Jenna Zahorik carried her momentum from the relays to the 200-meter dash, sprinting for second place in 26.05 seconds.

Concordia also scored seven points in the 800-meter race, as Danielle Van Grinsven and Olivia Ebel took fifth and sixth place, with times of 2:26.11 and 2:27.34, respectively.

Freshman Emma Eilertson (Mukwonago, Wis.) took fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.23 seconds.

CUW also had multiple point contributors in the high jump. Senior Auden Pearson (Kaukauna, Wis.) took seventh with her height of 1.41 meters, while Maya Heilscher and Emma Eilertson took third and fourth after clearing 1.46 meters. Combined, the Blue and White added 14 points in the high jump.

The field events continued to produce points for Concordia as sophomore Carly Griesemer (Slinger, Wis.) took second overall, clearing a height of 3.00 meters, giving CUW eight team points.

Lorin Laney continued to have an excellent showing on Saturday, taking third in the triple jump with a distance of 9.59 meters.

CUW's momentum also persisted in the shot put as freshman Paige Schreiber (Mukwonago, Wis.) posted a mark of 10.86 meters in her fifth throw attempt to gather four points.

Similarly, senior Jamie Maas (West Bend, Wis.) took second in the javelin, registering a mark of 30.26 meters in her second attempt, locking up eight points for CUW.

The Falcons will head north next week to compete at the St. Norbert Invitational before returning to Wisconsin Lutheran to take on the NACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.