Despite a tough day one of the MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where the Saints weren't able to get on the board, the team capitalized on their chances on day two by moving up to ninth in the standings and improving their finish from last year. 

The day was headlined by the dynamite duo of Ella Stritesky (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS) and Ella Engen (Clearbrook, Minn./Clearbrook-Gonvick HS) in the hammer throw. Stritesky, who has been on a tear this season, continued her consistency by launching yet another 50m plus throw on the day that mattered most. Stritesky's best toss of 50.92m gave her a spectacular runner-up finish and All-MIAC honors. Engen put together her best series of the season to place sixth overall and garner All-MIAC honorable mention accolades yet again. The pair combined for eleven points in the event and ignited a flame for the rest of the day two competitors. 

In the high jump, Toria Stampe handled the pressure to survive with the final jumpers. In a competitive season that started just a couple of weeks ago, Strampe fulfilled a heroic mission to place fifth overall and earn All-MIAC honorable mention for the first time in her career. Strampe is the highest placing high jumper for the Saints in their MIAC history. 

The 4x100m relay team of Shayna Wick (Poplar, WI/Northwestern High School), Kayla Nelson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS), Jaden Ellefson (Saginaw, Minn./South Ridge HS), and Ava Fink (Virginia, Minn./Virginia HS) placed ninth with a time of 50.04 seconds. 

Distance standout Grace McCormick (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld HS) found fire on the track in the highly contested 5000m final on Saturday. Bravely inserting herself to the action, McCormick fought off others contending for the last scoring positions over the late stages of the race. McCormick crossed the line in 18:31.22 for a seventh place finish. This time was a personal record for the sophomore by over twenty seconds, and that result made her the sixth fastest Saint in school history for the event. 

To close the curtains on the event, the 4x400m relay team of Ellefson, Wick, Regan DeWitt (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji HS), and Nelson put their heads together to drop over eight seconds on their season best and mix into the scoring in their final effort. The team placed seventh overall in a time of 4:06.48. 

Look for updates as national contenders press on for a ticket to the NCAA Championships in two weeks. A few athletes will compete at UW-LaCrosse on May 15th to continue that journey. 

See the full list of results from the MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships here.