<abbed the spotlight for the Carleton College women’s track and field team as she won the steeplechase at the MIAC Outdoor Championships and established a new personal best time of 11:18.27. That was the Knights’ second event title of the weekend and one of seven All-Conference performances for Carleton, which finished seventh out of 11 teams participating.
Competing on a cool, windy day where gust hovered between 20-27 mph, the Knights amassed 73 points in the team competition, trailing St. Thomas (140.5), Concordia (112), St. Olaf (104), Saint Benedict (100), Hamline (93.5) and Gustavus (81.5). The Tommies won their ninth consecutive conference team title.
“This season has been extremely challenging and rewarding at the same time,” said Carleton head coach Donna Ricks. “I am very proud of the women on this team and their performances during this MIAC Championships and throughout the season.
“The weather may have detoured things a bit, but when it came to the championships the team put forth their best competitive efforts, and as a result, the Knights achieved two MIAC Champions.”
Steinke’s victory came in the first running event of day two. Although her margin of victory was less than a second, her time was good enough for the fourth-best mark in team history.
Colette Celichowski ‘15 used a great finishing kick to pass three opponents over the last 150 meters as she finished second in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:52.10. Kayla McKinsey ‘16 was next to added to the team point total when she added an All-MIAC Honorable Mention performance in the 400-meter dash, crossing the line sixth at 61.16.
Seniors Sarah Trautman and Haley Johnson ran the leadoff and anchor legs when Carlewon won the 4×800 relay on Friday night. They both scored for the 800-meter run in the competition, with Johnson second at 2:19.49 and Trautman seventh at 2:21.63.
Emma Russ ‘16 continued the strong showing by the rookie class as she raced to a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, posting a time of 66.56.
The Knights scored points in the final event of the weekend, the 4×400-meter relay, combining on a time of 4:03.57, which ranks eighth all-time in program annals.
Kao Sutton ‘14 was the lone point scorer for Carleton in the field events. She smashed her previous personal best with a toss of 41.85 meters, placing second overall to secure All-Conference recognition.
“We may be a small team, but we compete with heart and we have a bright future ahead, so I am already excited for next season. However, I am really going to miss our seniors. They have given us some memorable races and competitions over the seasons, but most of all they have been truly wonderful people that have made a big impact on our team,” Ricks said.