After an impressive showing in Tempe, Ariz., to start the season, the Minnesota menâÄôs track and field team will head back to the Grand Canyon State this weekend for the Jim Click Invitational in Tucson.
The Gophers got a strong showing from their throwers in the first outdoor meet of the season and hope to repeat that success again this weekend.
Micah Hegerle recorded a personal best in the hammer throw with a distance of 212 feet, 9 inches. Quentin Mege also registered a throw of 202 feet, 1 inch in the same event. This marked the first time two Gophers threw the hammer more than 200 feet in the same event.
Aaron Studt and Trey Davis added to the dominance in the throwing events.
Studt placed first in the shot put, landing a throw of 57 feet, 1.5 inches. Davis earned a second-place finish in the same event with a throw of 54 feet, 9.5 inches.
Although the Gophers have been hot in the throwing events as of late, they will be looking for a contribution from all events to continue their run at another Big Ten outdoor championship.
Ben Peterson, an NCAA runner-up in the indoor season, tied for the title in the pole vault during the first outdoor meet of the season with a jump of 16 feet, 9.5 inches, and will be looking to continue his success in Tucson.
Along with the athletes who will compete in the Jim Click Invitational, the Gophers will send athletes to compete in the Hamline Invitational in St. Paul this weekend as well.
Women look to continue early season success
Coming off a promising performance in Tampa, Fla., the Minnesota womenâÄôs track and field team will also make the trip to Tucson this weekend to compete in the Jim Click Shootout.
âÄúI just want to see them compete and give the physical and mental effort into the weekend,âÄù head coach Matt Bingle said.
In their first outdoor meet of the season, the Gophers got a strong showing from Chimerem Okoroji.
Okoroji was the anchor of the 4×100-meter relay team that placed first at the Bulls Invitational in Tampa. She also raced to a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter.
Redshirt freshman Katie Moraczewski impressed many in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She won the event with a time of 11 minutes, 8.27 seconds. This was the first time Moraczewski competed in the steeplechase in her career with the Gophers.
âÄúSheâÄôs a great young woman and is learning the event because she is very new,âÄù Bingle said of Moraczewski. âÄúSheâÄôs on the right path to play a role for this team [at] some point. IâÄôm anxious to see how the whole season goes for her to see if she can continue to drop time.âÄù
Bingle said he is excited to watch various athletes compete this weekend to see where theyâÄôre at as the season progresses.
Senior All-American Sam Sonnenberg will be competing in the pole vault for the first time in an outdoor meet this season.
âÄúI expect her to come out and give a good mental effort and shake off the rust a little bit because she hasnâÄôt competed in a while,âÄù Bingle said.
Bingle added that heâÄôs eager for this weekend, as it presents an opportunity for the Gophers to perform.
âÄúThere are a lot of things going on that weâÄôre excited about, and the main thing is that itâÄôs a scored meet,âÄù Bingle said. âÄúI want to see people go into it with the attitude that we want to win this meet and compete and see where weâÄôre at.âÄù
