Assistant athletic director Tyler Grey converses with women’s track and field head coach Joe Sweeney. The women’s track and field team’s Tom Cat Twilight event is tomorrow evening at 4:00. (Jake Remes/TommieMedia)
Sean Murphy in stride. The junior is a dual-sport athlete, playing under Glen Caruso for the St. Thomas football team, and running for coach Joe Sweeney. (Jake Remes/TommieMedia)
Michael Witschen sprawls through the air. Three Tommies competed in the horizontal jump at St. Thomas’ Tom Cat Twilight event. (Jake Remes/TommieMedia)
Three Tommies prepare for the 100-meter dash. Eight of nine Tommie participants qualified for the finals of the 100 meter dash. (Jake Remes/TommieMedia)
Underclassmen performed well at the St. Thomas men’s track and field team’s performance Thursday during the Tom Cat Twilight meet at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
Sophomore Jacob Gredvig placed first in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.89 in the team’s first of two home outdoor meets this season. Gredvig said before his race he was simply focusing on performing well.
“My thinking was like, ‘OK just don’t mess up too bad,’” Gredvig said. “But during the race my teammate in the other lane was a good runner, so I thought I would let him lead it off, and I ended up pulling it out. After the race, I was very surprised to see 55.89.”
The meet included several unattached athletes, as well as the University of Minnesota, so no team scores were kept. With Gredvig’s win, however, he moved into first place on the MIAC season list for the 400-meter hurdles. Coach Steve Mathre said he was impressed with Gredvig’s performance.
“He was pretty excited after that race,” Mathre said. “He ran his best time. He did not run last week, so this is his opening outdoor performance, and he’s put himself right at the top of the conference in that event.”
Other first-place winners from St. Thomas included sophomore Logan Klaers who took first in the non-seeded discus with a throw of 148-11, junior Matt Schauer, who won the shot put and sophomore Michael Witschen who leapt 6.83 meters in the long jump and also moved into first on the MIAC season list.
“Michael just keeps getting better and better. He really improved himself as an athlete over the summer,” Mathre said. “He won the long jump, but he also impressed me in the way he ran his 200-meters. He showed some promise and some improvement.”
Although the teams didn’t keep scores, Gredvig said one of the Tommies’ biggest strengths all season has been their camaraderie and the support system the team provides for one another.
Other notable finishes occurred when Tyler Krpan took third in 1,500, Craig Murtha took third in the hammer, Dan Sauro and Ryan Queenan finished third and fourth in the 200, Aaron Tyrell-Byrd tied for second in javelin, Evan Keil took fourth in the pole vault, Jordan O’Reilly finished second in the 400-meter hurdles behind Gredvig, Connor Gross placed second in the 110 hurdles and Chris Mueller, Queenan and Fritz Alt placed two, three and four in the 400, respectively. Sauro also placed third in the long jump.
“I thought it was a very good start to our season,” Mathre said. “We’re still only in our second week, so I consider it an early season competition, yet I thought some of our guys showed performances that are typically more indicative of middle season. I’m happy with where they’re at right now.”
Andrew Frentz can be reached at fren2218@stthomas.edu.