ABERDEEN, S.D. - Competing in challenging conditions, the Winona State University track and field team claimed a fourth-place finish at the 2022 NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with two Warriors setting new NSIC records in their respective events.
Shereen Vallabouy and
Lindsay Cunningham set new NSIC marks in the 400-meter and the 10,000-meter races, respectively, leading WSU to 88 points as a team in a wind-swept Aberdeen, South Dakota. Vallabouy and Cunningham joined
Kaylee Beyer and
Brooklyn Schyvinck in earning individual first-place finishes for head coach
Mason Rebarchek.
Vallabouy ran a 53.60 in the 400, winning the event by almost three seconds over the next best finisher, Robyn Rolle-Curry of MSU-Moorhead. Vallabouy - the NCAA Indoor 400 meter national champion - ran a time that displaced the old record of 54.40, set by former Winona State standout Megan Seidl in 2017. Cunningham's 34:09.57 record time beat the 2018 time of 34:12.43 ran by Northern State's Sasha Hovind.
Beyer won the 1500 with a time of 4:30.69, beating Augustana's Nicollete Schmidt who finished second at 4:31.69. Beyer also earned points for Winona State with a fourth-place finish in the 800-meters with a time of 2:13.70.
Schyvinck won the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.75, just edging UMary's Morgan Hertz at 1:01.81. Warrior teammate
Kendall Zeman was fourth in the same event with a time 1:03.13 and
Kylee Becker sixth at 1:03.52, as Winona State was the only program with three top eight finishers.
In the relay events, Winona State claimed the victory in the 4 X 400 relay, as the team of
Maddy Pietz,
Kendall Zeman,
Kaylee Beyer and
Brooklyn Schyvinck ran a 3:53.32, winning the race ahead of Minnesota-Duluth who finished second at 3:54.39.
The WSU 4 X 100 meter relay team of
Michaela Pryor,
Ashlie Lockington,
Maddy Pietz and
Kaylee Olson took third, running a time of 47.31.
In the field events,
Madison Rizner was 12th in the high jump and
Xana Leum was eighth in the triple jump, the top two Warrior finishes. In the javelin,
Kaylee Patnode earned an 11th-place finish.
Minnesota State, Mankato won the team standings with 191 points, followed by Augustana in second at 127. UMary was third at 104.50 and Winona State fourth with 88 points.
Next up for several members of the team will be the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, with final qualifiers to be named early next week.
