Results

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's track and field won five events at Division I Minnesota's Gary Wilson Invitational on Wednesday, April 24.

SJU did not have a competitor in four events (steeplechase, 5,000 meters, discus, shot put) and collected 21 top-eight performances on the day.

Senior Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) recorded a personal-best time of 10.38 seconds to win the 100-meter dash prelims. He did not, however, compete in the final. Instead, Arthur rested to win the 200-meter dash in 21.71 seconds with a -2.5m/s headwind. 

Junior Jackson McDowell (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) won the high jump with a height of 2.01 meters, while classmate Alec Ungar (Eden Prairie, Minn./Chanhassen) followed in seventh (1.88 meters) and freshman Gerald Melin (Trail, Minn./Red Lake County Central) tied for eighth (1.88 meters).

Sophomore Mitchell Degen (Brainerd, Minn.) took first in the javelin with a throw of 53.32 meters and sophomore Carter McEachern (Zimmerman, Minn.) was third (49.24 meters).

The Johnnies recorded the top-three times in the 5,000 meters, led by junior Ethan Leonard (Chaska, Minn.) in 16:07.49. Junior A.J. Skinner (Rogers, Minn.) was second (16:33.61) and freshman Peyton Martinek (Coon Rapids, Minn.) was third (16:37.56).

The Johnnies' 4x100-meter relay (Popoca, Arthur, Schaffer, Murnan) finished first with a time of 41.20 seconds and the 4x400-meter relay (Witschen, Montreuil, Conzemius, Smith) was fifth (3:20.29)

Junior Zach Schaffer (Chaska, Minn.), the reigning MIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week, claimed third – first among NCAA Division III competitors – with a distance of 6.78 meters in the long jump. He also placed sixth (13.51 meters), just ahead of senior Elijah Wade (Waco, Texas/Vanguard College Prep) in seventh (13.44 meters).

Freshman Vincent Kaluza (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) was third in the steeplechase with a time of 9:46.93, followed by two teammates separated by fractions of a second: classmate Max McCoy (Bennington, Neb./Mount Michael Benedictine) in sixth (9:59.552) and junior Joe Gathje (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) in seventh (9:59.558).

Sophomore Kole Guth (St. Peter, Minn.) took sixth in the pole vault (4.52 meters), freshman Cooper Smith (Alvarado, Minn./East Grand Forks) finished second among Division III participants – seventh overall – in the 400-meter hurdles (54.57) and sophomore Nick St. Peter (Maple Grove, Minn.) was eighth – fifth among Division III runners – in the 800 meters (1:54.84). Freshman Kieran Murnan (Lakeville, Minn./Holy Angels) was eighth in the 200-meter dash (22.24) and another freshman, Wyatt Witschen (Monticello, Minn.), finished ninth overall and fourth among Division III sprinters in the 400-meter dash (50.00).

SJU travels south to compete at Gustavus Adolphus' Drake Alternative at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27, in St. Peter.