Results

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's track and field opened its 2025 season with a win out of four teams on Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Donald McNeely Spectrum.

The Johnnies won seven of the 13 events and recorded 22 top-three performances for 171 points. Wisconsin-Superior was second (79), followed by SJU Alumni (63), St. Scholastica (49) and Minnesota-Morris (25).

Senior Max Lelwica (Brainerd, Minn.) won the 60-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 8.65 seconds and freshman Jacob Sterk (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) was second (9.20).

Senior Zach Schaffer (Chaska, Minn.), the MIAC's long-jump champion indoors and outdoors the past two seasons, won the triple jump with a mark of 13.48 meters. Sophomore Bangaly Kaba (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) was third (12.48 meters).

Senior Jackson McDowell (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) led a contingent of six Johnnies who recorded a high jump of 1.80 meters or better with a win of the event at 2.00 meters. Senior Anthony Thurk (St. Bonifacius, Minn./Waconia) was second, while sophomore Connor O'Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn.) and senior Alec Ungar (Eden Prairie, Minn./Chanhassen) tied for third (1.80 meters). Freshman Bailey Evans (Breckenridge, Minn.) also tallied a mark of 1.80 meters in sixth.

SJU claimed the top four finishes in the mile run, led by sophomore Cole Stencel (Mapleton, Minn./Maple River) in 4:29.34. Junior Nick St. Peter (Maple Grove, Minn.) was next in second (4:30.15), followed by sophomore Vincent Kaluza (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) in third (4:31.22) and sophomore Lars Molenkamp (Almere, Netherlands/Oostvaarders College) in fourth (4:31.63).

Junior Kole Guth (St. Peter, Minn.) took first in the pole vault (4.40 meters) and classmate Josh Johnston (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) was third (3.95 meters).

A pair of newcomers won events in their Johnnie debut. Freshman Max Reis (Fargo, N.D./Spectrum) sprinted to first place in the 60-meter dash (6.96) and freshman Anthony Sletta (St. James, Minn.) won the long jump (6.70 meters).

Kevin Arthur '24 took first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.41 seconds, 0.06 ahead of sophomore Wyatt Witschen (Monticello, Minn.) in second (51.47). Another sophomore, Cooper Smith (Alvarado, Minn./East Grand Forks), was third (51.93).

Sophomore Rylan Turqueza (Ewa Beach, Hawaii/Radford) and freshman Grady Minnerath (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) were second (14.44 meters) and third (13.48 meters), respectively, in the shot put.

Senior Joe Gathje (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) was runner-up in the 3,000 meters (9:15.24) and junior Owen Montreuil (Jordan, Minn.) claimed second, by 0:00.01 in the 800 meters (1:59.21). Sophomore Kieran Murnan (Lakeville, Minn./Holy Angels) was third, second among collegiate sprinters, in the 200-meter dash (23.68).

The Johnnies host St. Olaf for a 4:30 p.m. dual meet on Friday, Jan. 31, in Collegeville.