12/11/2022

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's track & field team kicked off the 2022-23 season, hosting The Opener at the Burns Wellness Fieldhouse on Saturday.
 
The Saints welcomed neighboring schools neighboring schools, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Wisconsin Superior, as well as schools from across the geographical region like Bemidji State University, North Central University, and Lakehead University from Thunder Bay, Ontarios, giving this years' Opener some international flavor.  
 
EVENT WINNER
Saints' captain Lily Beneke (Green Isle, Minn./Sibley East HS) (Jr., Green Isle, Minn./Sibley East HS) started her junior campaign off with a bang as she unleashed a personal-best throw of 16.21m (53-02.25) to topple stiff Division II competition in the weight throw. Beneke's monster opening throw currently puts her in tenth place on the NCAA Division III national qualifying list.  Beneke qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the hammer throw, a stylistically-similar event to the indoor weight throw.
 
OTHER TOP PERFROMERS
Beneke's co-captain led the rest of the day on Saturday, as senior Ellie Sholing (Wabasha, Minn./Wabasha-Kellogg HS) (Wabasha, Minn./Wabasha-Kellogg HS) finished with a runner-up result in the 400m run. Sholing patiently marked the rapid-starting field through the half-way mark, then blazed the final 150 meters to challenge for the win at the line.  She got nipped in the end and finished second in a time of 1:02.76.

Newcomer Sofia Fischer (Fr., St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo HS) posted an all-time best high jump mark of 1.50m (4-11) to place fifth in her first ever collegiate competition.
 
UP NEXT
The Saints go into winter break, returning in January 21^st for a bridge battle at the University of Wisconsin Superior.