Northern Michigan University’s Baux Truckey, center, gets out of the starting blocks during a track event at a college indoor track and field meet held at Minnesota State-Mankato on Feb. 15. (Photo courtesy of NMU)
OSHKOSH, Wis. — The women’s track and field team at Northern Michigan University opened their season with more than a dozen top-five finishes, including two event victories, at the Early Bird Invitational hosted by Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Friday and Saturday.
With no team scores kept, the Wildcats tasted the most success with Kaitlin Smith winning the pole vault and Teiolla Harvey capturing first place in the weight throw. Teammates also added four runner-up finishes, six in third place, two more in fourth place and another three in fifth.
In the field, Smith cleared 3.36 meters (11 feet, 1/4 inch) to win the pole vault, while teammate Alyssa Tumminaro got over at 3.06 meters (10-feet-1/2) for third.
Harvey’s winning weight throw distance was 15.81 meters (51-10 1/2), which she achieved on her fourth throw. The Wildcats’ Danielle Lund, a Manistique High School graduate, was fourth with 15.18 meters (49-9 5/8).
Harvey was also runner-up in the shot put with a heave of 12.29 meters (40-3 7/8), while teammate Alizabeth Little was third with 12.20 meters (40-feet-3/8) and Lund fifth with 11.56 meters (37-11 1/8).
And Northern’s Crystal Walker was third in the long jump with a leap of 5.31 meters (17-5), while Alayna Vandegriff was third in the triple jump with 11.07 meters (36-3 7/8).
On the track, the Wildcats’ Anya VanSweden was runner-up in the first race on Saturday, the 3,000-meter run, in 10 minutes, 58.38 seconds.
In the 60 hurdles, freshman teammate Lily Phillips was second in 8.95 seconds, while Walker was fourth in 9.19.
Marquette Senior High School product Baux Truckey was third in the 60 dash in 7.87.
In the 4-by-400 relay, Truckey, Lily Phillips, Taylor Rogers and Beverly Harper were runners-up in 4:06.32, while Brooke Lemos, Paige Anderson, Ella DeBruyn and Ishpeming grad Lola Korpi were fifth in 4:31.32.
In the five-event pentathlon, NMU’s Natasha Nowakowski finished third in a field of 11 competitors after compiling 3,076 points. He top finishers were third in both the high jump after clearing 1.54 meters (5-feet-5/8) and shot put with a heave of 9.86 meters (32-4 1/4).
Teammate Eva Zonca was fifth with 2,942 points as she was fourth in the 60 hurdles in 9.51 seconds, while Northern’s Elizabeth Simpson was sixth with 2,875 points. Simpson’s top finish was fourth in the 800 in 2:34.80.
With this warm-up meet finished, the Wildcats won’t be in action again until Jan. 24 when they travel to Whitewater, Wisconsin, for the Karl Schlender Invitational.
They also have one home meet on Saturday, Feb. 7, the WCW Tri-Meet, an annual event that also includes Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State.
Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.