The UNI track and field team traveled down the road to Waverly as they competed in the Wartburg Outdoor Select this weekend. Many Panthers excelled in this meet with 10 different athletes getting first place in their events. This meet was the official kickoff to the Panthers’ outdoor track and field season. 

Makenna Wilson kicked off the day with a first place victory in the women’s hammer throw with a distance of 201 feet, 4.5 inches. Mari Shavers was right behind her in second place with a distance of 192 feet, 6.25 inches. Wilson also went on to get first place in the women’s shot put later in the weekend, throwing 47 feet, 9 inches. Sarah Byrd got bronze with a distance of 45 feet, 5 inches, and Shavers followed in fourth with a distance of 44 feet, 5 inches. Wilson finished the day by placing fourth in the discus with a throw of 139 feet, 7.5 inches. 

Paige Kisley was the victor in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.54 seconds. Jack Sumners took the gold in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a final time of 14.10, setting a personal record in the event. 

The women’s 400-meter dash saw a host of Panthers make the podium. Libby Wedewer finished in first with a personal best time of 58.09. Jill Bennett finished with a silver medal with a time of 58.32, while Eden Barrett placed in fifth with a time of 1:00.03. Kisley also made the podium in eighth place with a time of 1:00.93, while Olivia Hubler just missed it with a time of 1:01.02. 

The Panthers took home gold in both the women’s and men’s 400-meter dash with Andrew Ferguson finishing in first place with a career-best 47.98. Tinashe Chigudu finished in fourth place with a 49.76. 

Carter Morton topped the podium in the men’s triple jump event with a distance of 48 feet, 11 inches. Drew Bartels took home gold in the men’s long jump with a jump of 23 feet, 0.5 inches. Zack Butcher took silver in the event with a distance of 22 feet, 11 inches, while Brody Lovell finished right outside of the top 3 with a personal-best distance of 21 feet, 3.5 inches. 

Rylie Todd was the champion in the women’s high jump, jumping 5 feet, 3 inches. Isabelle Holtzen finished in third place in the pole vault with a vault of 11 feet, 4.5 inches. Alivia Silvestri took fourth in the vault at 10 feet, 10.5 inches.

The final race in which UNI was victorious was the women’s 4×400 meter relay. The team of Kisley, Lauren Klein, Makinley Levin and Amanda Lietz ran a 3:59.45 to obtain the gold. The men’s 4×400 team of Drake Hanson, Luke Myers, Chigudu and David Holesinger II ran a 3:20.99 to get second place in the event. 

The track and field team will return to action this weekend as they travel to Champaign, Ill. to compete in the Fighting Illini Challenge hosted by the University of Illinois.