DAKOTA WESLEYAN NOTCHES NUMEROUS TOP-10 PERFORMANCES AT USD ALUMNI MEET

VERMILLION, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University track and field program, just two weeks out from the Great Plains Athletic Conference Indoor Championships, faced stiff competition including NCAA DI, DII, and NAIA challengers at the University of South Dakota Alumni Meet in Vermillion, S.D. Highlighting the day, senior throws specialist Caden Milmine captured a third-place finish in the men's shot put field while several other Tigers registered impressive performances on Saturday afternoon from Mildred J. Hillenbrand Memorial Track.  

 HOW IT HAPPENED

 In the throwing ring, Milmine dialed a throw of 50-5.5 on his second-to-last attempt to claim the top-three finish while placing second amongst NAIA competitors. Chris Zanotto, meanwhile, who dialed a mark of 52-02 in the weight throw, ended the day in 10^th.

 Morgan Taft pieced together a top-15 finish in the women's weight throw with a distance of 52-4.75 while Katlyn Briggs and Darby Deffenbaugh also took part in the event. In the shot put field, the lone DWU thrower Lila Gronseth also ended the day in the top-15 with a mark of 38-11.5.

 Elsewhere in the field events, Dakota Wesleyan jumpers Lia Guigui and Ashtyn Evans shined in their own respective event. Guigui secured a leap of 5-02 in the women's high jump good enough for seventh while Evans rounded out the triple jump with a jump of 31-6.75. Cale Strong and Cobey Carr concluded the field events for the Blue and Gray in the men's triple jump with distances of 41-9.75 and 40-0.75, respectively en route to a pair of top-10 finishes. 

 On the track, Nate Rupprecht clocked a top-15 performance in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.99 while Austin Hughes ended the race in 54.7. Hunter Shanks and Justin Sorensen crossed the finish line nearly back-to-back in the 800 meter. Shanks notched a time of 2:01.19 while Sorensen claimed a finish of 2:01.94. In the 5,000 meter, Caleb Sayler and Wyatt Baldauf logged finishes of 16:37.05 and 16:38.23, respectively. 

 UP NEXT

 Dakota Wesleyan competes in its final regular-season indoor meet on Saturday when the Tigers travel to Yankton, S.D. for the Mount Marty Last Chance Invite while a starting time has yet to be announced.

 Full DWU Women's Results
60m Dash Prelims
Taylor Pourier – 8.66
Avany Long – 8.81

 400m Dash
Taylor Pourier – 1:06.85

Avany Long – 1:09.91

Abbigail Ferris – 1:15.57

 800m Dash
Annika Vermeulen – 2:47.45

4x400m Relay
7^th – Ashtyn Evans , Abbigail Ferris, Lia Guigui, Avany Long – 4:41.53
 
High Jump
7^th – Lia Guigui - 5-02

 Triple Jump
12^th – Ashtyn Evans – 31-6.75

 Shot Put
15^th – Lila Gronseth – 38-11.5

Weight Throw
13^th – Morgan Taft – 52-4.75
Katlyn Briggs – 49-1.75
Darby Deffenbaugh – 45-4.5

 Full DWU Men's Results

 400m Dash
14^th – Nate Rupprecht – 53.99
 Austin Hughes – 54.70

800m Run
13^th – Hunter Shanks – 2:01.19
Justin Sorensen – 2:01.94

 5,000m Run
Caleb Sayler – 16:37.05

Wyatt Baldauf – 16:38.23

 4x400m Relay
9^th - Zach Fieber, Austin Hughes, Ryley Johansen, Nate Rupprecht - 3:36.62

High Jump
Ryley Johansen – 6-01
  
Triple Jump
7^th - Cale Strong – 41-9.75

9^th – Cobey Carr – 40-0.75
 
Shot Put
3rd – Caden Milmine – 50-5.5

Weight Throw
10^th – Chris Zanotto – 52-02