DULUTH, MN – Behind the power of eight titles and 15 all-conference performances, the University of Mary won a third straight Northern Sun Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Led by
Ida Narbuvoll, who won three individual crowns and was the NSIC High Point Performer, the Marauders captured their tenth title in 14 years since joining the Northern Sun.
UMary, ranked 12
th in the country, generated an impressive 174 points over the three-day meet to outscore #8 Minnesota State University, which finished with 157. Augustana, who led the field entering day three, finished third with 90 points.
After opening the track events with a victory in the 10,000 meter run on Friday, Narbuvoll set her sights on two more wins on Saturday. The defending champion from 2019 in the 10K and the 5K, Narbuvoll was clocked in 4:26.07 in the 1500 meter run and held off Augustana's PJ English by 0.54 seconds to win an event the Norway native has run just once previously this season.
The 1500 was a huge event overall for UMary as three other Marauders finished in the top six.
Taylor Hestekin (4:26.66) finished third barely behind Narbuvoll and English to earn All-NSIC honors.
Taryn Ceglowski placed fourth in 4:27.96 and
Bree Erickson, who won the event in 2018 and was All-NSIC in 2019, placed 6
th in 4:34.53. Overall the Marauders captured 24 points in the race.
Narbuvoll helped the Marauders seal their win in the 5000, the penultimate event of Championship Saturday. With the Marauders holding just a 6-point lead over the Mavericks, Narbuvoll ran away with the event with a clocking of 16:44.94 to win the race by over 12 seconds.
Abigail Jones (17:29.81) finished seventh and
Starlynn Costa (17:32.88) was eighth as the Marauders earned 13 points in the 5K to guarantee UMary the team title heading into the 4x400 meter relay, the last event of the day.
D'Andra Morris, who won the triple jump at the NSIC outdoor championships in 2018 as a freshman, repeated the feat as a senior. The All-American connected for a provisional qualifying mark of 12.45 meters and won the event by over a foot ahead of the runner-up. This is Morris' 8
th NSIC title, including indoors.
Morris wasn't the only UMary scholar-athlete with a big day in the triple jump.
Cali Modglin earned All-American honors with a leap of 11.84 meters, placing third overall.
Taylor Weidner claimed 8
th with an effort of 11.38 meters.
After entering Championship Saturday, the Marauders had impressive efforts everywhere.
The Marauders also crushed the 800 meter run, placing four in the top eight.
In one of the best performances of the meet,
Elizabeth Acheson won the 800 with a provisional qualifying mark of 2:08.90 that currently ranks the freshman 9
th in the nation. Hestekin finished 5
th (2:16.33),
Courtney Dembrowski 6th (2:16.49) and Ceglowski 8
th (2:20.08).
Chriss-Ann Thomas ran away with the 400 meter dash championship. The senior posted an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 54.75 seconds to win by 0.64 seconds. Thomas then captured a 5
th place finish in the 200 (24.37 seconds).
Freshmen competing in their first outdoor championship for UMary,
Faith Dockter and
Nicole Kramchynsky dominated the javelin for the Marauders. Dockter uncorked a toss of 43.68 meters to easily win the title. Her effort is also an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Kramchynsky unleashed a throw of 39.34 meters to finish second and earn All-Northern Sun recognition.
Tereza Bolibruch won All-NSIC honors in the 100 meter hurdles, placing second to nation's top hurdler with a time of 13.88 seconds. Bolibruch ranks 10
th nationally.
Several other Marauders also generated points for UMary on Saturday:
The Marauders finished first with 174 points, followed by Minnesota State (157), Augustana (90), Winona State (69.5), Northern State (67), Minnesota Duluth (54), Sioux Falls (49), Bemidji State (34.5), St. Cloud State (28.5), Wayne State (28), Concordia-St. Paul (26), Southwest Minnesota State (17), MSU Moorhead (14), Upper Iowa (6) and Minot State (2.5).
UMary next competes at the NCAA Championships on May 27-29 in Allendale, MI. Narbuvoll (5K, 10K) and Morris (triple jump) have already automatically qualified. The rest of the field will be announced this upcoming week.
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