NORTHFIELD, MInn. -- The MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships took place at Carleton College in Northfield over the weekend. The two day event spanned Friday and Saturday afternoons as the top entered athletes competed for All-Conference awards.
 
Leading the Saints as she has all season, Ella Stritesky (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS) started the action for the team on day one in the weight throw. Stritesky again put together a trademark consistent series to place third overall and secure All-MIAC honors for the second year in a row in this event. Stritesky was so consistent that her first two throws went the exact same distance; her best distance on the day of 16.10m.
 
Another early field event on Friday gave rookie jumper Allison Fink (Mountain Iron, MN/Rock Ridge High School) her first shot at MIAC competition. Fink capitalized on the opportunity by beating her incoming personal record in each of her first three jumps to move to finals. Fink's best jump of 10.79m was good for fifth place overall and All-MIAC Honorable Mention. The result also bumps Fink up to the fifth-place slot on the Saint's all-time list in triple jump.
 
Fink returned on Saturday to pick up a second All-MIAC Honorable Mention award with a sixth place finish in the long jump. Her personal best leap of 5.25m is the second farthest long jump mark in school history. Fink accounted for seven team points in her debut MIAC championship event.
 
Scoring in her first individual conference track event was Abby Wood in the 5000m run. Wood hung with the thick of the pack until there were six runners vying for the final two scoring positions. Wood outdueled the competition to snatch the final point and an eight place finish. Wood's time of 18:47.36 moves her up to number seven on the Saints all-time list.
 
On Friday, Regan Niemi (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) placed eleventh in the mile in a time of 5:22.73. Niemi returned on Saturday to finish ninth in the 1000m with a time of 3:03.88 - an event in which she already holds the school record. Niemi also ran legs in the Distance Medley and 4x400m relay which both finished eighth and ninth respectively.
 
Joining Niemi in the conference scoring DMR was Wood, Lily Hoard, and Grace McCormick (Duluth, MN/Denfeld HS). The eighth place finishing team ran 13:14.60 to go down as the fifth fastest distance medley relay in school history.
 
The 4x200m relay team of Shayna Wick (Poplar, WI/Northwestern High School), Kayla Nelson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS), Molly King (New Prague, MN/New Prague High School), and Fink placed ninth overall in the meet. Their time of 1:49.95 is also the ninth fastest 4x200m relay on the Saints all-time performance list. 
 
The Saints 4x400m relay team of Wick, King, Niemi, and Nelson wrapped up the two-day meet by placing ninth in a season's best time of 4:11.65.
 
Other performances of note:
 
Ella Engen (Clearbrook, Minn./Clearbrook-Gonvick HS) placed 10th overall in the weight throw with a toss of 13.77m.
 
Lucy Rapanna finished 15th in the 55m hurdles with a time of 9.04 seconds. 
 
Nelson also finished 17th in the 400m dash with a time of 1:02.41.
 
That wraps up the indoor campaign for the majority of the Saints track and field team. With a small selection of athletes continuing the championship phase of the indoor season at "last chance" meets next weekend, the Saints contingent will attempt to punch tickets to the NCAA Championships in Birmingham, Alabama on March 13th and 14th.