The University of Minnesota Duluth track and field teams had a day chalk full of personal bests, meet records, and top-two performances. The Bulldogs spent Saturday, April 12 at Bethel University for the 2025 Bethel Invitational in Arden Hills, Minn.

The day started off on a high note with Elizabeth VanLoon winning the women's steeplechase in a time of 11:23.57 -- also a personal best for the junior. Fifth-year Jack Van Kempen also saw great success in the men's steeplechase, taking second with a PR and provisional qualifying time of 9:08.67, which also happened to break the previous meet record. 

The Bulldog relays were also well-represented. The women's 4x100m relay team of Emily Anderson, Hailey Hollar, Jordan Grell, and Kate Fitzgerald took first with a time of 47.33, which was also a meet record. The men's 4x100m relay team (Cole Brisbois, Brock Unger, Billy Auvin, and Brady Johnson) also took first, racing to a time of 41.64. 

Another first came from senior Savannah Schley in the women's 800m. Her time of 2:10.40 was a facility record, meet record, PR, and provo.

Runner-Up finishes also came aplenty for both squads. In the men's discus, freshman David Schiller snagged second with a throw of 45.76m (PR), and in the men's shot put, junior Jackson Weston took second with a toss of 15.77m. 

Sophomore Noah Foster ran to a second place finish with a PR time of 4:03.05 in the men's 1500m, and fifth-year Owen Dickenson also grabbed second with a time of 1:55.13, which was also a PR. 

Sophomore Brady Johnson's time of 21.47 in the men's 200m also earned him second place in a competitive field. 

It was also a great day for freshman Hailey Hollar, who took second in the women's 100m race with a time of 12.21. Junior Kate Fitzgerald went on to run to another runner-up placing in the women's 200m with a time of 24.88. 

Both women were also members of the 4x400m team that took second with a time of 3:54.38 with freshman Avary Fitzpatrick and Schley. 

Sophomore Lillian Wanzek held it down in the pit, jumping to a second place finish with a leap of 5.47m. 

The Bulldogs will look to divide and conquer next weekend with athletes split between the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., the Pacific Coast Invitational in Long Beach, Calif., and the Maverick Invite in Mankato, Minn. 

An additional list of PRs from the day can be found below.

PRs:

Men's 3k Steeplechase

Nolan Bakken 9:58.30

Mikey Kvaal 10:02.02

Women's 1500m

Anna Wickizer 5:19.73

Men's 110mH

Sam Blomberg 14.69

Women's 400m

Avary Fitzpatrick 58.11

Megan Sandgren 1:01.58

Men's 400m

Billy Auvin 48.82 (bested meet record)

Women's 800m

Madeline Verkerke 2:14.43

Emily Bastian 2:21.67

Men's 800m

Noah Foster 1:57.51

Women's 400mH

Sevanna Burke 1:06.49

Women's 200m

Jordan Grell 25.70

Brooke Silloway 26.20

Men's 5000m 

Connor Bialka 16:01.43

Women's Triple Jump

Parker Ennis 9.73m

Women's Hammer Throw

Justine Carsrud 44.08m

Annaka Bogenholm 41.68m

Men's Hammer Throw 

Jackson Weston 52.58m