Results

ST. PAUL, MINN. – The St. Catherine University track and field team has endured snow, sleet, and cold preparing for the 2017 season. Those weather conditions were nowhere to be found on Saturday, as multiple Wildcats set personal records (PR) to highlight the team's trip to the Hamline Invite.

St. Kate's throwers had a stupendous day in their respective events. Kaylea Hoenigschmidt (Ramsey, Minn. / Anoka) cracked through the Wildcats top-10 list in the hammer throw. The sophomore finished in eighth in the event with a PR throw of 42.49, which stands No. 5 all-time at St. Kate's.

Seniors Megan Pohlmann (Grey Eagle, Minn. / Long Prairie-Grey Eagle) and Courtney Kirkeide (Greenbush, Minn. / Greenbush-Middle River) both had strong outings in the first meet of the year. Pohlmann finished third in the event with a throw of 39.74 meters, while Kirkeide finished in 13^th with a throw of 31.07 meters, a PR by over three meters.

Katelyn Byers-Carter (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) was the final thrower to record a PR at the Hamline Invite. Byers-Carter took sixth in the shot put with a PR throw of 11.82 meters, which is No. 8 in the Wildcat record books. She was also the third-highest finisher from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as three of the top six finishers were from Division I or II program.

Several distance runners found success at Hamline's track. Jackie Brine-Doyle (Merrifield, Minn. / Pequot Lakes) earned a PR in the 3000 steeplechase with a time of 12:45.03, which is No. 6 all-time at St. Kate's. Michelle Perri (Plymouth, Minn. / Osseo) shaved over 15 seconds off her previous best-time in the 5000 meter run to finish the race with a new PR of 20:17.44.

Shannon Strickland (Rochester, Minn. / Loudres) looked strong in both the 800 and 1500 meter runs. The middle distance specialist just missed her PR time in the 800, finishing the race in 2:26.70. Strickland was just as strong in the 1500, as she finished in 5:03.75.

The sprinters picked up right where they left off in the indoor season, especially in the 200 meter dash. Liliya Kirkova (Burnsville, Minn. / Burnsville) was 16^th in a race that featured runners from multiple divisions with a PR time of 26.79. That time is eighth all-time in St. Kate's history.

Sydia Reeves (Vadnais Heights, Minn. / North St. Paul) and Ici Kelley (Robbinsdale, Minn. / St. Louis Park) were also impressive in the sprint events. Reeves set a new PR time of 28.76 meters in the 200 meters, while Kelley scored a PR in both the 200 (31.13) and 100 (15.05) meter dash.

Shakeela Wells-Johnson (St. Paul, Minn. / Harding) got off to a strong start in the outdoor season with a seventh place finish in the 100 meter dash (12.82).

St. Kate's track and field team will return to action next weekend. The Wildcats will travel to Collegeville, Minnesota to partake in the Saint John's Invite.