Mitchell, South Dakota — The Northwestern College women’s track and field team won eight events at the Dakota Wesleyan Alumni Open held today at the DWU / Avera Wellness Center in Mitchell, S.D. The Raiders won the team title with 153 points and totaled 22 top five finishes.
Three Raiders, Allison Birks, Caitlin Ostbye and Abigail Clarke, claimed a pair of first place finishes to lead Head Coach Scott Bahrke’s squad. Birks won both the high jump and 60m hurdles, claiming a first place finish for the third straight week. Birks cleared 1.5m (4-11.25) and was the first to cross the finish line in the 60m hurdles, posting a time of 9.35, the ninth fastest time in the GPAC to date.
One week after finishing in the top five in both the 60m and 200m, Ostbye won both events this week with times of 8.06 and 26.81, respectively. The freshman has the eighth fastest time in the GPAC in the 60 and ranks just outside the top 10 in the 200m.
Clarke ran a personal best time of 1:02.5 and earned the first win of her collegiate career in the 400m. The freshman then ran the first leg of the Raiders winning 4×400 relay with a time of 4:11.9, bettering their time from last week by three seconds. Other relay members include Morgan Van Der Brink, Madi Blankespoor and Savonne Sterk.
Hunter Koepke and Autumn Muilenburg shined in the distance races for the Raiders. Koepke took first in the mile (5:27.8), finishing just ahead of Muilenburg (5:31), who later claimed the title in the 3K with a time of 11:06, seven seconds faster than the second place runner.
Becca Bindert finished second in the shot put while Kaylynn Ridgely and Natalie Lausen placed third and fifth respectively in the long jump.
Both Sterk (200m) and Blankespoor (400m) placed fourth in their respective events along being part of the winning 4×400 relay. Lizzy Blum placed fourth in the 60m, posting her first career top five finish. Jada Marco was third in the 60m hurdles and Angela Brinkman was the runner-up in the 1000m.
Northwestern Top Five Finishers:
Shot Put:
2. Becca Bindert – 12.16m / 39-10.75
Long Jump:
3. Kaylynn Ridgely – 5.08m / 16-08
5. Natalie Lausen – 4.78m / 15-08.25
High Jump:
1. Allison Birks – 1.5m / 4-11.25
60m Hurdles:
1. Allison Birks – 9.35
3. Jada Marco – 10.01
5. Morgan Altman – 10.5
60m:
1. Caitlin Ostbye – 8.06
4. Lizzy Blum – 8.23
200m:
1. Caitlin Ostbye – 26.81
4. Savonne Sterk – 28.28
400m:
1. Abigail Clarke – 1:02
4. Madi Blankespoor – 1:05
1000m:
2. Angela Brinkman – 3:29
Mile:
1. Hunter Koepke – 5:27
2. Autumn Muilenburg – 5:31
3. Katlyn Wiese – 5:49
4. Hailey Louw – 5:53
3000m:
1. Autumn Muilenburg – 11:06
5. Katlyn Wiese – 11:45
4×400 – 1st: 4:11.9 (Clarke, Van Der Brink, Blankespoor, Sterk)
