NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Day two of the MIAC outdoor track and field championships saw a slew of performances worthy of All-MIAC and All-MIAC honorable mention awards.
On the track, Noah Kubicek (Owatona, Minn./Owatonna HS) continued his streak of podium finishes with a third place finish in the 400m dash. Kubicek sprinted his way to a new school record of 48.29 seconds. Kubicek has broken this school record at least once per season since his freshman season.
Kubicek returned to anchor his teammates in the 4x400m relay in the final event of the evening. The team of Finn Eskeli, Jeffrey Kayfes (Buhl, Minn./Mountain Iron-Buhl HS), Zack Bartsch, and Kubicek tore through the field to place fourth overall in a time of 3:20.88. This marks the fourth consecutive MIAC championships with a 4x4 team running at least 3:20. This year's team ranks fifth on the Saints all-time performance list. All team members garnered an All-MIAC honorable mention nod with the result.
The field events brought a plethora of All-MIAC performances for the Saints on Saturday. After a podium finish in the long jump on Friday, another Saints jumper found the podium on day two. Newcomer Trevor Turner was one of three final remaining competitors in the high jump after clearing the 1.94m bar. In a gentlemen's agreement, the last standing jumpers agreed to pass on the 1.97m bar and move onwards as a group to attempt 2.00m. All three jumpers missed all three attempts, so the standings remained as they were with Turner earning a third place finish in the event. This is Turner's second All-MIAC honor of his short career.
Another school record fell on Saturday as Matthew Erickson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) found his groove in the triple jump. In a boisterous competition with claps, charades, and showmen, Erickson fed off of the energy to change the standard of his jumping distance. Erickson surpassed his previous personal best in three out his six attempts, with his farthest jump eclipsing the 14m mark. Erickson's new school record of 14.07m placed him fourth in the conference and earned him an All-MIAC honorable mention.
The throws continued to bring in points for the Saints after Trent Beseth's (Stanchfield, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) runner-up performance on Friday. Beseth finished second overall in the shot put with a toss of 17.05m. This tacked on yet another All-MIAC award for the senior. Joshua Monreal (Proctor, Minn./Proctor HS) finished in fifth place with a distance of 14.96m for All-MIAC honorable mention. The duo combined for twelve points in the event.
The two returned in the hammer throw to combine for another sixteen points, two podium finishes, and a pair of All-MIAC honors. This time, it was Monreal who came out on top. However, he didn't just beat his teammate, but the entire field. On his final throw of the day, Monreal launched a grand slam to the middle of the sector. Monreal's sixth attempt flew 57.44m through the air to move into the gold medal position. Beseth's mark of 54.53m gave him a third place finish.
With nationals bids within grasp for Beseth and Monreal, the two will look ahead to back to back weekends in La Crosse for a last chance effort, as well as the NCAA Championships on Memorial Day Weekend. Stay tuned for more results as a few fellow Saints seek national qualifying marks and improvement on school records.
