[Track and Field] Track and Field Recap: Grinnell Invite

By Lauren Block (JR/Tripoli, Iowa), sports information student assistant

Mason Tangen's track and field teams competed in the Grinnell Invite Saturday, their final competition before the Heart Championships, which will be held this coming Friday and Saturday in Crete, Nebraska. Since this was the final opportunity for the Pride to establish their qualifying marks for conference, today's meet included many standout performances in both the women's and men's events.

On the women's side, Breanna Judkins (SO/Franklin, Wis.) won the long jump with a best jump of 5.31m. Also in the long jump, Mackenzie Williams (FR/Bolingbrook,IL) placed third with a best leap of 5.09m, and Paige Murphy (FR/Benton, WI) placed fifth with a best jump of 4.81m, respecitively. Judkins also won the triple jump with a best bound of 10.56m. Judkins is currently ranked first in the Heart conference in this event. Chantel Kyler (JR/Shabbona, Ill.) placed second in the triple jump with a best bound of 10.05m, and Jessica Anderson (JR/Forreston, Ill.) placed eighth with a best jump of 9.09m.

In the 60 meter dash, Paige Murphy placed fourth with a time of 8.26 seconds. Ajah Morgan (SO/Maywood, Ill.) followed Murphy in sixth place, respectively, with a time of 8.38 seconds. In her first meet as a Pride track member, Abbie Denlinger (FR) placed seventh in the 400 meter dash, clocking a time of 1:05.23.

Lauryn Pritchard (FR/Altoona, IA) and Mariah Pellino (FR/Streator, IL) placed fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 5000 meter run with times of 22:14.36 and 22:51.69. In the 3000 meter run, Lauren Block ran a new personal best time of 11:12.00 to place fourth and establish a new school record.

Block, Hannah Rehder (SR/Plainfield, Ill.), Anna Cole (SR/Kenosha, Wis.), and Lauryn Pritchard placed third in the distance medley relay with a time of 14:28.63. Rehder, Judkins, Denlinger, and Kyler placed third in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:18.19.

In the throwing events, Mikayla Houston (JR/Bolingbrook , Ill.) placed third in the shot put with a best toss of 12.13m, throwing a new personal best. Erin Soat (JR/East Dubuque, Ill.) followed Houston in fourth place with a best toss of 12.07m. Houston also threw a new personal best of 17.18m in the weight throw to earn a second place finish, respectively. Houston is currently ranked second in the Heart conference in this event.

The Clarke women scored 91 points and placed second out of twelve teams.