By: Ryan Klinkner, SJU Athletic Media Relations Director & Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

No. 14 Saint John’s track and field competes at the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Championships this Friday-Saturday, May 9-10, at Macalester Stadium in St. Paul. – Live Results | Live Video | Championships Website

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: This weekend’s tentative schedule of events is listed below.

Friday

Field Events (Men)

-2:00 p.m.: Hammer, Long Jump

-5:00: Discus, High Jump

Track Events (Men)

-2:30 p.m.: 1,500 Meters

-3:05: 110-Meter Hurdles – Prelims 

-3:35: 400-Meter Dash – Prelims 

-4:00: 100-Meter Dash – Prelims 

-4:25: 800 Meters – Prelims 

-5:05: 400-Meter Hurdles – Prelims

-5:35: 200-Meter Dash – Prelims 

-6:05: 4×800-Meter Relay  

-6:35: 10,000 Meters

Saturday

Field Events (Men)

-Noon: Javelin, Triple Jump

-1:00 p.m.: Pole Vault

-3:00: Shot Put

Track Events (Men)

-1:30 p.m.: 4×100-Meter Relay

-1:55: 3,000-Meter Steeplechase

-2:45: 110-Meter Hurdles – Final

-3:05: 400-Meter Dash – Final 

-3:20: 100-Meter Dash – Final

-3:35: 800 Meters – Final 

-3:50: 400-Meter Hurdles – Final  

-4:10: 200-Meter Dash – Final 

-4:20: 5,000 Meters 

-5:10: 4×400-Meter Relay

18 POINTS: Senior Max Lelwica (Brainerd, Minn.) became the fifth Johnnie and seventh overall to win the MIAC decathlon last Thursday-Friday (May 2-3) at Carleton’s Laird Stadium. Lelwica finished with 6,905 points, the second-highest total in program history and just 27 points from the record of 6,932 that Maguire Petersen ’22 registered for fifth place and All-America honors at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships.

He joined Steve Kimble (1998, 1999); Matt Mogensen (2006); Brayden Wagner (2009); and Petersen (2021, 2022) as a MIAC champion in the event.

The 2025 MIAC indoor champion in the heptathlon, senior Anthony Thurk (St. Bonifacius, Minn./Waconia) earned his third All-MIAC honor (top three) with a third-place finish of 6,378 points and freshman Bailey Evans (Breckenridge, Minn.) picked up two team points with a seventh-place total of 5,734.

Sophomore Noah Besemann (New Brighton, Minn./Irondale) just missed scoring in ninth place (5,697), 13 points from eighth, and sophomore Isak Brandt (Eagan, Minn.) was 14th (4,567).

Lelwica won three of the final five events (six of the 10) – the 110-meter hurdles, discus and pole vault – and finished second in the 1,500 meters. He recorded four personal bests and is now a five-time All-MIAC honoree in the multi-events (heptathlon and decathlon).

Thurk tied for fourth in the pole vault and tallied his fourth PR of the decathlon to finish third in the final event, the 1,500 meters.

Evans was third in the discus and fifth in the javelin, while Besemann’s best event was a tie for first in the pole vault. Brandt claimed seventh in the 110-meter hurdles.

AT ST. OLAF: SJU recorded 12 top-six performances at St. Olaf’s Ole Open last Saturday (May 3). The Johnnies did not have a competitor in eight of the 20 events at the meet.

Freshman Grady Minnerath (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) led the Johnnies with wins thanks to season-best throws in both the discus (46.65 meters) and shot put (14.66 meters).

Junior Aidan Morey (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) provided SJU’s third win in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.23 seconds.

Three Johnnies were in the shot put’s top five, led by freshman Alex Wimmer (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka) in third (13.57 meters). Freshman Jalen Graham (Minneapolis, Minn./Champlin Park) followed in fourth (12.86 meters) and sophomore Beau Boudreaux (Huson, Mont./Frenchtown) was fifth (12.40 meters). Graham was also sixth in the discus (38.69 meters).

Senior Pierre Deutschlander (Maple Grove, Minn.) claimed third in the 400-meter hurdles (58.58), while sophomore Max McCoy (Bennington, Neb./Mount Michael Benedictine) placed fourth in the steeplechase (10:04.99) and senior Emanuel Popoca (Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy) was fourth in the 200-meter dash (22.47). Sophomore Connor Brynteson (Minneapolis, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper) took fifth in the hammer throw (41.99 meters).

AT HAMLINE: The Johnnies won two events and recorded 23 top-eight marks/times, including eight in the top three, last Wednesday (April 30) at Hamline’s Meet of the Unsaintly.

Senior Mitchell Degen (Brainerd, Minn.) won the javelin with a throw of 59.55 meters and senior Jackson McDowell (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) was next in second (52.63 meters). McDowell also claimed second in the high jump (2.01 meters) and classmate Alec Ungar (Eden Prairie, Minn./Chanhassen) was next in fourth (1.88 meters).

Senior Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) won the 200-meter dash in 21.30 seconds and freshman Max Reis (West Fargo, N.D./Spectrum) took third (21.85). Reis was also second in the long jump with a mark of 6.96 meters, while senior Zach Schaffer (Chaska, Minn.) and freshman Anthony Sletta (St. James, Minn.) were fourth (6.78 meters) and fifth (6.77 meters). Schaffer was also fifth in the triple jump (12.75 meters) and sophomore Bangaly Kaba (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) placed sixth (12.73 meters).

Sophomore Andrew Withuski (Wahpeton, N.D.) and junior Josh Johnston (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) were second (4.52 meters) and third (4.41 meters), respectively, in the pole vault. Junior Kole Guth (St. Peter, Minn.) was next in fifth (4.26 meters) and senior Andrew Adams (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) finished eighth (3.96 meters).

Senior Tommy Allen (Woodbury, Minn./St. Paul Academy) placed fifth in the 800 meters (1:52.61) and junior Owen Montreuil (Jordan, Minn.) was seventh (1:53.91).

A number of Johnnies fared well against NCAA Division III competition. Junior Jacob Malecha (Lonsdale, Minn./New Prague) was fifth overall but first among Division III runners in the steeplechase (9:39.63), while sophomore Cooper Smith (Alvarado, Minn./East Grand Forks) claimed sixth, first among his peers, in the 400-meter hurdles (54.72) and another sophomore Wyatt Witschen (Monticello, Minn.), was first among Division III sprinters in the 400-meter dash (49.95) and eighth overall.

Three others finished third or better among Division III participants:

-Sophomore Bahir Amoud (St. Paul, Minn./Harding), third in the 110-meter hurdles (16.02) and eighth overall;

-Senior Joe Mensen (Hudson, Wis./Hill-Murray), second in the hammer throw (50.86 meters) and seventh overall;

-Minnerath, third in the shot put (14.48 meters) and eighth overall.

SJU’S MIAC OUTDOOR HISTORY: The Johnnies have finished in the conference’s top three in 34 of the last 40 MIAC Outdoor Championship meets, including 19 second-place finishes and seven titles (1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2022 and 2023). 

ALL-MIAC RETURNERS: Eighteen Johnnies enter this weekend’s meet with outdoor All-MIAC honors already on their resumes (see below). Two others – Guth (1-time) and Ungar (2-time) – have earned All-MIAC recognition in indoor track and field but not yet outdoors.

–Tommy Allen: champion (2024, 4×800-meter relay); champion (2022, 800 meters) *5-time All-MIAC indoors

–Kevin Arthur: champion (2024, 100-meter dash); champion (2024, 200-meter dash); second (2024, 4×100-meter relay); champion (2023, 100-meter dash); champion (2023, 200-meter dash); champion (2023, 4×100-meter relay); champion (2022, 100-meter dash); champion (2022, 200-meter dash); champion (2022, 4×100-meter relay); third (2021, 200-meter dash) *6-time All-MIAC indoors

–Ryan Conzemius: third (4×400-meter relay) *1-time All-MIAC indoors

–Jaeden Frost: champion (2024, hammer throw); second (2023, hammer throw); third (2023, discus); third (2023, shot put) *3-time All-MIAC indoors

–Matt Hansen: second (4×100-meter relay)

–Max Lelwica: champion (2025, decathlon); second (2024, decathlon); third (2023, decathlon) *2-time All-MIAC indoors

–Max McCoy (second, 4×800-meter relay)

–Jackson McDowell champion (2024, high jump) *2-time All-MIAC indoors

–Owen Montreuil: second (2024, 4×800-meter relay); third (2024, 4×400-meter relay); champion (2023, 4×800-meter relay) *1-time All-MIAC indoors

–Aidan Morey: second (2024, 4×100-meter relay)

–Kieran Murnan: second (2024, 4×100-meter relay)

–Emanuel Popoca: champion (2023, 4×100-meter relay) *2-time All-MIAC indoors

–Zach Schaffer: champion (2024, long jump); champion (2023, long jump) *4-time All-MIAC indoors

–Nick St. Peter: third (2024, 800 meters); champion (2023, 4×800-meter relay) *2-time All-MIAC indoors

–Cooper Smith: third (2024, 4×400-meter relay) *1-time All-MIAC indoors

–Cole Stencel: second (2024, 4×800-meter relay) *1-time All-MIAC indoors

–Anthony Thurk: third (2025, decathlon); third (2023, long jump) *1-time All-MIAC indoors

–Wyatt Witschen: third (2024, 4×400-meter relay) *1-time All-MIAC indoors

IN THE MIAC: The Johnnies enter this weekend’s conference meet with 52 top-10 marks/times in the MIAC this outdoor season, including 23 in the top five.

100-Meter Dash 

1. Kevin Arthur, 10.32 *No. 4 in Division III

2. Max Reis, 10.47 *No. 20 in Division III

9. Kiernan Murnan, 10.92

200-Meter Dash

2. Kevin Arthur, 21.04 *No. 7 in Division III

8. Max Reis, 21.71

400-Meter Dash

9. Kevin Arthur, 49.94

10. Wyatt Witschen, 49.95

800 Meters

4. Tommy Allen, 1:52.61

7. Owen Montreuil, 1:53.91

9. Nick St. Peter, 1:54.77

10. Max McCoy, 1:54.96

1,500 Meters

7. Cole Stencel, 3:53.95

8. Nick St. Peter, 3:54.28

5,000 Meters

7. Cole Stencel, 14:45.71

10,000 Meters

5. Eamon Cavanaugh, 31:38.05

110-Meter Hurdles

4. Max Lelwica, 15.12

10. Bashir Amoud, 15.91

400-Meter Hurdles

4. Cooper Smith, 54.72

8. Jacob Sterk, 57.50

10. Bode Russell, 57.74

Steeplechase

4. Vincent Kaluza, 9:32.53

6. Jacob Malecha, 9:39.63

8. Joe Gathje, 9:45.61

4×100-Meter Relay

1. SJU, 40.28 *No. 6 in Division III

4×400-Meter Relay

5. SJU, 3:21.05

4×800-Meter Relay

2. SJU, 7:35.84

High Jump

1. Jackson McDowell, 2.06m *No. 8 in Division III

7. Max Lelwica, 1.89m

8. Alec Ungar, 1.88m

9. Anthony Thurk, 1.86m

Pole Vault

t2. Josh Johnston, 4.57m

t2. Andrew Withuski, 4.57m

5. Kole Guth, 4.43m

t9. Max Lelwica, 4.20m

t9. Noah Besemann, 4.20m

Long Jump

3. Zach Schaffer, 7.12m *No. 40 in Division III

4. Max Reis, 6.96m

6. Matt Hansen, 6.87m

7. Anthony Sletta, 6.83m

Triple Jump

7. Bangaly Kaba, 13.20m

Shot Put

9. Grady Minnerath, 14.66m

Discus

5. Grady Minnerath, 46.65m

Hammer

3. Joe Mensen, 50.86m

9. Jaeden Frost, 47.15m

Javelin

1. Mitchell Degen, 60.15m *No. 26 in Division III

4. Jackson McDowell, 54.79m

9. Max Lelwica, 48.07m

10. Bailey Evans, 47.21m

Decathlon

1. Max Lelwica, 6,905 points *No. 4 in Division III

3. Anthony Thurk, 6,378 points *No. 21 in Division III

7. Bailey Evans, 5,734 points

9. Noah Besemann, 5,697 points

FEATURE STORY: Kevin Arthur had another season of outdoor eligibility remaining. But the Saint John’s University sprinting standout wasn’t sure he planned to use it.

He already boasted one of the most distinguished resumes in program history. He swept the MIAC outdoor titles in both the 100- and 200-meter dash the past three seasons and has earned All-America honors at the NCAA Division III indoor or outdoor meets five times.

That included last season when the Champlin Park High School graduate finished fifth outdoors in the 100.

But Arthur has yet to win a national championship, and he saw Max Reis – the talented freshman who joined the Johnnies this season – as a teammate who could help him get one.

“I knew what an impressive athlete he was, and I played a role in recruiting him to come here,” said Arthur of Reis, who was a two-time Class 2A state champion in the 100 and a one-time state champion in the 200 at Elk River’s Spectrum High School.

He went on to compete at Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College in spring 2023, but left school and worked as a window cleaner, hanging holiday lights, removing snow and caring for lawns in the Twin Cities metro area before returning to track at SJU this season.

“I knew having him here meant we’d have the chance to do some pretty special things in the 4×100 relay,” Arthur continued. “That made it a pretty easy sell.”

Indeed, Arthur and Reis have helped shape the SJU 4×100 into one of the top teams in the nation at the Division III level. The foursome – which also includes junior Aidan Morey and sophomore Kieran Murnan – recorded a school-record time of 40.28 seconds (the 17th fastest mark in Division III history) at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 26.

It was the sixth-fastest time at the Division III level this season, meaning it’s already a safe bet to say the team will be competing at the national meet May 22-24 in Geneva, Ohio.

“I knew we’d run fast with those two guys (Arthur and Reis) and a couple others we had coming back,” said SJU head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow, who already coached an SJU 4×100 team to a national title in 2019.

“That’s certainly been the case. Those guys ran that time (40.28) on a pretty cold day. If we get some nice warm weather, there’s no telling how fast they can go.”

Arthur said his relationship with Reis mirrors the bond he shared with All-American standout Ryan Miller ’22 (the anchor of that 2019 national championship relay) earlier in his career.

“He pushes me and I push him,” said Arthur, who was able to return for the outdoor season because of extra eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 and ’21 seasons.

“We make each other better. It’s different because I’m the older guy now. I’m the one bringing him under my wing and trying to push and mentor him. 

“He broke my school indoor record in the 60,” Arthur continued. “I thought that was going to stand awhile. And he’s just a freshman. Before he’s done, I’ll be completely wiped off the board. But that’s OK. It’s just nice to have the chance to be here during this part of his development.”

That development will continue at this season’s MIAC outdoor meet, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Macalester in St. Paul. Arthur enters the competition seeded first in the 100 (10.32) and second in the 200 (21.04) behind Jacob Parent of Bethel (20.94).

Reis is seeded second in the 100 (10.47) and eighth in the 200 (21.71), while SJU is seeded first in the 4×100 as well.

“We hope Kevin and our younger sprinters will give us a boost,” said Karger-Gatzow, whose team won conference outdoor titles in 2022 and ’23, then finished second behind Bethel a year ago. “That will help a lot. But our goal is to score in every event and I think we’re capable of accomplishing that. 

“If that happens, it will be a pretty successful weekend.”

Arthur, meanwhile, has goals that extend beyond college. He was born in Ghana, but left his mother’s home there at age 9 to live with his father and stepmother in Italy in search of a better education. 

Then, at 15, he moved with his family to the U.S. His father, Frederick, got a job at Boston Scientific in Maple Grove, and Kevin became a three-sport athlete (soccer, wrestling, track and field) at Champlin Park.

But he still hopes to one day represent Ghana on the world stage. He came close last summer when his times ranked sixth in the 100 and fourth in the 200 on the list officials there used to choose their representatives for the Olympics in Paris – leaving him just short of making the cut.

“I was actually hoping to make the (4×100) relay and they took the top five guys so I just missed out,” he said. “That was a little heartbreaking, but not that much. It was more of a confidence-booter because I saw I was right there. I just have to pick it up a little and it’s obtainable.”

He hopes to do just that when Ghana likely decides its representatives for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this September at a national meet in August.

“That will be exciting because it will be decided on the track,” Arthur said. “I follow a number of Ghanan athletes on social media and I’ve seen the times they’ve posted. I’m in the same alley as they are. I can definitely be competitive.”

If he competes at the meet, it will mark his first visit to Ghana – where many of his family members still reside – since he left as a child.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing family and enjoying Ghanaian food,” he said. “I still have friends there, but the last time I saw them, we were all kids. It will be great to get to see where they are now at this time in our lives.”

Before that, though, Arthur has unfinished business in Collegeville. The global business major went through his graduation ceremony a year ago. But he is completing his second internship with Intemark, a marketing firm in the Twin Cities, as he chases a national championship.

“I’ve never been a national champion and it would be an amazing way to finish my career here,” he said. “It won’t be easy. But we have a (relay) team capable of getting the job done.”