Results

ARDEN HILLS, MINN. – It might be cliché to say the St. Catherine University track and field team is off to a hot, fast start in the 2017 indoor season, but it's the truth. Just one week after scoring their first team win in several years, the Wildcats continued to look strong Saturday as several student-athlete had career days and won individual events at the Gene Glader Invite at Bethel University.

One of those athletes was none other than Katelyn Byers-Carter (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson), who continued to climb up the St. Kate's record books with her performance in the shot put. The senior thrower won her premiere event, the shot put, for the third time this season behind a PR throw of 11.58 meters. That mark is not only a personal best for Byers-Carter, but it also stands No. 6 in St. Kate's history.

Two other Wildcat student-athletes won events at the Gene Glader Invite, including senior sprinter Shakeela Wells-Johnson (St. Paul, Minn. / Harding). Wells-Johnson won the 60 meter hurdles with a season best time of 9.37, which is currently the No. 2 time in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The senior sprinter was also second in the 200 meter dash with a time of 27.56, which was just .02 behind the winner from Augsburg.

Liliya Kirkova (Burnsville, Minn. / Burnsville) was the final member of St. Kate's team to win an individual event. The first year sprinter was spectacular in her debut in the 400 meter dash and won the event with a time of 1:02.50.

Several distance runners were also strong for the Wildcats Saturday afternoon. Senior Courtney Kirkeide (Greenbush, Minn. / Greenbush-Middle River) was third in the 3000 meter run with a time of 11:06.13 while first year Leghlin Ahlstrom (White Bear Lake, Minn. / White Bear Lake) recorded a PR and finished second in the mile with a time of 5:35.86. Shannon Strickland (Rochester, Minn. / Lourdes) was also impressive for St. Kate's in her 800 meter run debut with a time of 2:32.67.

First year Liza Leja (Abrams, Wis. / Oconto Falls) scored not just one, but two PRs at the Gene Glader Invite. Leja recorded her first PR of the day in the 60 meter dash, where she qualified for the finals with a personal best time of 8.47. She was just as strong in the 200 dash, where she finished in eighth place with a PR time of 28.53.

Sydia Reeves (Vadnais Heights, Minn. / North St. Paul) also recorded a PR in the 60 meter dash and just missed qualifying for the finals with a time of 8.63.

Megan Pohlmann (Grey Eagle, Minn. / Long Prairie-Grey Eagle) was also impressive in field events for St. Kate's. Pohlmann was second in the weight throw with a throw of 13.73 meters while Byers-Carter finished third with a throw of 12.22 meters.

St. Kate's 4x200 relay team of Kirkova, Megan Thoemke (White Bear Lake, Minn. / Mahtomedi), Leja and Wells-Johnson was impressive in its season debut. The team finished second behind Bethel's "A" team with a time of 1:50.54. The 4x400 relay team of Thoemke, Allison Monahan (Missoula, Mont. / Hellgate), Stacey Wherley (Osceola, Wis. / Osceola) and Strickland won the event.

The Wildcats will return to competition next weekend when they compete at the Carleton Meet of Hearts on Saturday, February 11.