For the second year in a row, the women’s track team defeated Wisconsin in a dual meet.
The Gophers won 10 events in the second annual meet on Saturday at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse to beat the Badgers 93-66.
“It’s special anytime you can beat the Badgers on your own track and do it the way we did it today, convincingly,” head coach Matt Bingle said.
Sophomore Emerald Egwim captured two event titles in the meet, running a career-best time of 7.63 seconds in the 60-meter dash and a career-best 24.78 seconds in the 200-meter dash.
The meet was capped off by a come-from-behind victory for Minnesota’s 4×400 relay team, as junior Titania Markland ran down Wisconsin’s anchor runner.
“Before the race, my coach talked to me and said, ‘They may be in the lead at first, but just do your best when you go out there,’” Markland said. “My teammates were there making noise, and it was amazing.”
Markland also won the 600-meter dash in a time of 1:31:81.
After competing against the Badgers in Madison, Wis., last year, the home crowd helped keep the team motivated to beat Wisconsin again.
“It was awesome,” Markland said. “I felt like each corner I turned it was like, ‘OK keep going. There’s someone cheering for you.’ ”
Men defeat Wisconsin
The men’s team also won for the second straight year in its dual meet on Saturday in the Fieldhouse.
The Gophers won 88-72 and captured nine of the 15 event titles.
“We were excited for this meet,” redshirt senior Adam Zutz said. “Competing against Wisconsin, we really wanted to defend our title, and it was nice to have a full crowd supporting us.”
Junior Luca Wieland led the team with 12 points in the meet, winning the long jump and the 60-meter hurdles.
Senior captain Luke Johnson set a personal record in the shot put with a throw of 18.98 meters.
Fellow senior captain Goaner Deng won the 800-meter title in 1:51.51 and was part of the team’s winning 4×400 relay team.
“It shows the guys what staying with it can come to,” head coach Steve Plasencia said. “I think that is an example to the rest of the guys.”
The dual was only the Gophers’ fourth competition of the season, but Zutz said the victory can propel the team forward.
“Beating Wisconsin is a step in the right direction,” Zutz said. “It shows we are doing the right things, and we can continue to raise the bar.”
