Great Lakes Wire

Crystal Walker, Gianna Hoving, and Madi Szymanski secured victories for the Northern Michigan Track & Field team during the first day of the Elaine Leigh Invite in Rochester. Walker triumphed in the long jump event, Hoving won the 1500m race, and Szymanski clinched victory in the 5000m competition.

In field events, Walker reached a distance of 5.71 meters to claim her top spot in the long jump. Teammate Sofi Diop also performed well, finishing within the top five with a mark of 5.03 meters. In pole vaulting, three Wildcats placed among the top five: Leah Root took second with a mark of 3.40 meters, Emily Czeiszperger was third at 3.10 meters, and Kati Smith secured fifth place with a vault of 2.95 meters. Additionally, Teiolla Harvey achieved fourth place in javelin with a throw of 28.82 meters.

On the track, Hoving's time of 4:41.11 led her to victory in the 1500m race by more than two seconds over her competitors. Meanwhile, Szymanski completed the 5000m race with a winning time of 17:11.83. In another notable performance on day one, Claire Waligorski finished second in the grueling 10000m race with a time of 41:14.35.

The 'Cats are set to conclude their participation in the Elaine Leigh Invite tomorrow starting at noon.