Bennie and Johnnie track compete in first outdoor meet at Hamline

The St. Ben’s and St. John’s track and field teams competed in their first outdoor meet of the season at the Hamline Invitational on Saturday. In total, CSB had three titles, two top-10 program marks and 21 top-eight finishes. SJU’s track and field team won five events and totaled 35 top-eight performances.

For CSB student Ellie Selisker, the first outdoor meet was a mix of perseverance and personal achievement. Despite the challenging weather conditions and limited practice, Selisker placed third with a personal best of 1.56m-5-01.25 in the long jump, which was just outside the program’s top-10.

“I feel good about my individual performance. As it was the first outdoor meet, I did not have a ton of expectations for myself. I wanted to complete with a happy mindset, and that is what I did,” Selisker said.

On the team front, Selisker emphasized the importance of camaraderie and support. “I am always proud of my teammates, no matter how they feel they did personally,” Selisker said.

“Every single event has its own element of difficulty and technique. Personally, I assess my team’s performance based on how everyone feels about their events.”

Selisker also reflects on the team’s connection and caring culture.

“I know this is 100% biased, but my team is the best. Our team consists of individuals who are so welcoming, positive and fun. This creates an amazing team environment where everyone cares about everyone,” Selisker said.

Looking ahead, Selisker expressed a desire for continuous improvement and growth. Selisker acknowledges areas for development in her jumps and hurdling techniques and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive mindset while enjoying the journey of a collegiate athlete.

“There are multiple areas of my performance I would like to improve on, but I have to give myself some grace,” Selisker said.

“Overall, I plan on continuing to practice with a positive mindset and enjoy these last few weeks as a collegiate athlete.” CSB track coach Robin Balder-Lanoue shares her optimism about the season ahead.

“Our goals for the season include achieving personal bests, fostering a supportive team culture and competing at our highest level,” Balder-Lanoue said.

Balder-Lanoue notes how proud she is of how the team competed in the first outdoor meet of the season.

“We had people place very high in these 20 teams meets,” Balder-Lanoue said. “We are looking forward to getting stronger as the outdoor season progresses.”

The teams hope to continue with their success as the season moves forward. SJU is scheduled to split for a pair of meets next weekend. A small number of Johnnies will compete at Azusa Pacific’s Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Azusa, Calif., while the rest of the team will remain in the state for the Divisions II MSU-Mankato Open on Saturday.

CSB will travel to Mankato, Minn., where they will compete in the Minnesota State Open at the Mark Schuck Outdoor Track and Field Complex on Saturday.