NMU’s track team competed in two separate meets this past weekend, with the majority of the team competing in the North Country Invite in Duluth, Minn.

Three other members, Leslie Luehmann, Bailey Franklin and Melissa Christensen, competed in the heptathlon in the Northwood Multis.

“Both meets went really good,” head coach Tom Barnes said. “Plus, it gave the (heptathletes) a chance to compete before the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) meet.”

Northern finished second at the North Country Invite with 146.5 points. The University of Duluth-Minnesota finished first with a score of 255.

Catherine Angeli led the Wildcats in the 100-meter and 200-meter races. She was third in the 100 with a time of 13.04 and third in the 200 with a time of 26.16.

The 3,000-meter run saw the ‘Cats with two of the top three runners as Michele Bisig was second with a time of 11:16.16 and Wiedmeyer finished in third with a time of 11:22.16.

Natalie Bertucci finished second in the hurdles with a time of 15.62.

The NMU relays had top three finishes in both events. The 4×100 of Balbierz, Angeli, Rachael Williams and Bertucci were runners-up with a time of 50.05, just off the winning time of 49.88. With a time of 4:12.74 the 4×400 relay of Williams, Mahy, Erin VanEnkevort and Hendershot placed third.

Paris Malin set a new NMU record in the pole vault by capturing the event with a measurement of 11-01.75. Karin Diebold, with a jump of 10-08.00. was third in the event.

Angie Leckson won the shot with a throw of 43-02.50 for a new NMU record.

At the Northwood Multis, Bailey Franklin won her first ever collegiate heptathlon with a score of 4,123 despite not winning any individual events.

Luehmann finished third, followed by Christensen in fourth.

Barnes said he was pleased with the athletes performances.

“I knew they were prepared,” he said. “As a first time out, I thought they did a good job staying focused on what needed to be done.

The team is at the Marquette University Twilight Meet in Milwaukee, Wis. Saturday April 25 as a final tune-up before the (GLIAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships (April 30-May 1).