Three Tigers take first at DWU Open

MITCHELL, S.D. – It was a strong day for the Dakota Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams as three athletes won their events at the DWU Open on Saturday in the DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Center in Mitchell.

 Lia Guigui (Rapid City, S.D.) competed in multiple events throughout the day, but her best effort came in the high jump. Guigui won the event with a final mark of 5-1.75 feet. She also participated in the long jump and placed fourth with a mark of 15-11.5.

 Avany Long (Oacoma, S.D.) took second, while Claire Stoller (Madison, S.D.) placed third in the long jump. Long recorded a mark of 16-6, as Stoller notched a leap of 16-1.

 In the triple jump, Stoller came away with a second-place finish, thanks to a jump of 36-4. Lydia Gerber (Canton, S.D.) tallied a fourth-place finish in the same event with a mark of 35-8.5.

 In the track events, Annika Vermeulen (Mitchell, S.D.) placed third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:38.33 minutes. Mckenna Rogers (Saint Michael, Minn.) nabbed third in the 1,000-meter run after a time of 3:23.37.

 On the men's side, Jared Rabenberg (Britton, S.D.) broke the facility record as he came away with a first-place finish in the long jump. He recorded a leap of 21-10.25. Freshman Cale Strong (Norfolk, Neb.) won his event as he competed in the triple jump. His finish put him in the top-10 program history as he notched a leap of 43-10.75 to finish the day with a triple jump win.

 Caden Milmine (Buffalo, Wyo.) finished his day with a third-place finish in the shot put after a toss of 48-11. Freshman Ryan Kienzle (Gillette, Wyo.) was not far behind as he tallied fourth place following a throw of 47-1.5. In the weight throw, Dawson Kerzman (Dell Rapids, S.D.) moved into fifth in program history as he took fifth thanks to a mark of 51-6.25. 

 Rex Schlicht (Woonsocket, S.D.) participated in the 600-meter run and finished in third place after a time of 1:26.34. Wyatt Baldauf (Seneca, Ill.) nabbed fourth in the 3,000-meter run in 9:48.94.

 The Tigers participate in the USD Multi on Friday and Saturday in Vermillion, S.D.