A few athletes from the Wildcat track and field team traveled to Mankato, Minn. to compete in the Maverick Premier #2, where the team finished second out of 11 teams. The team earned a total of 61 points, which included a win, two second-place finishes, and two third-place finishes.

In the 400-meter dash, senior Ahna Larson took home the win, followed by her teammate Ciara Ostrenga, who earned the second-place spot on the podium. Larson’s time was a personal best in the 400, clocking in at 58.36, while Ostrenga’s time was 58.96.

Ellyse Wolfrath took home third place in the 60-meter hurdles, where she is now ranked 17th nationally in NCAA Division II. Her qualifying time of 8.59 earned her that ranking.

During the 800-meter race, two Wildcats crossed the finish line in the top three. Beverly Harper and Gianna Hoving competed together and finished with times of 2:16.86 and 2:18.69, respectively. Hoving also competed in the mile run, where she recorded a time of 5:03.87.

Jumping from the track events to the field, Northern had a few fifth-place finishes. Kaitlin Smith competed in the pole vault, where she cleared a mark of 3.53 meters. Alayna Vandegriff recorded a distance of 10.83 meters in the triple jump.

The team now travels to Kenosha, Wis. to compete in the Parkside Classic, which is their last meet before the GLIAC Indoor Championships in University Center, Mich.

The weeks following the GLIAC Indoor Championships will be action-packed, including the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis. After that, the team will begin the outdoor track and field season, which starts in March and ends in May.

The team will travel nationwide to compete in meets, including the Cal State Twilight Meet in Los Angeles.