Sophomore weight throwers Anthonett Nabwe and Hadley Streit earned their way to the NCAA championships after a successful Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Going into the weekend, the women’s track and field team knew they lacked the depth to compete for a top-three team finish like they did in previous years. Despite the lack of depth, the Gophers still had multiple successful individuals.
Streit spoke about the impact of this mindset when preparing for the competition.
“The expectations were a little bit less team-wise but more just like focusing on the individual,” Streit said.
Streit’s sixth-place finish in the Big Ten Championship was the first of her career and helped her qualify for the NCAA indoor championships for weight throw for the first time.
Freshman Isabelle Schmitz, senior Dyandra Gray, sophomore Zoie Dundon and senior Erin Reidy placed third as a part of the distance medley relay (DMR) team and set a new Minnesota record with a time of 11:02.42.
Freshman Kennedy Martinson set her lifetime record in the pentathlon and 60 meter hurdles but placed sixth overall in the event. Martinson’s time of 8.41 in the 60 meter hurdles was seventh best in Gophers history.
Fifth-year Alliyah McNeil placed sixth in both the long jump and high jump and is now a six-time conference scorer.
Nabwe defended her Big Ten weight throw title, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back titles in weight throw in nine years, the last being Olympian Kelsey Card.
Nabwe earned ten points for the Gopher team with her first-place win at the Big Ten championship. The DMR team earned the second most points with six.
Nabwe also qualified to compete in the NCAA championship. She competed last year but did not place.
In the Big Ten championships, Nabwe’s performance set the longest mark of any women’s weight throw this season and put her at second all-time in Gopher history.
When speaking about her experience at last year’s NCAA championships, Nabwe said she was nervous but plans to approach the meet this year more relaxed.
“I was scared of (the weight falling), but this year I got to go in there and relax,” Nabwe said. “I’m one of the best in there so I just gotta do what I usually do in practice, other meets, and just execute.”
Nabwe currently has the best mark with 24.22 meters, 0.63 meters better than the second best mark made by University of California, Berkeley’s Giavonna Meeks. Nabwe will compete against former teammate Shelby Frank, who placed second last year.
Streit acknowledged the impact of the coaching staff and teammates when talking about their achievements.
“I get to push myself more when (Nabwe)’s here and then working with Miller,” Streit said. “I mean, he’s coached so many good weight throwers.”
The NCAA indoor track and field championships will take place next week, March 14-15, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
