By RYAN BUCHMEIER
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
 
WINONA, Minn. — After nearly two weeks away from competition—thanks to Mother Nature's decision to extend winter weather well into April— the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota track and field teams came back stronger than ever in their second outdoor home meet this season.
 
With their original meet this week having already been canceled due to weather, Cardinal coach Niels Anderson, taking advantage of a picture-perfect Thursday forecast, put together the inaugural Spring, Sprung, Sprang Invitational—and the Cardinals took advantage of the opportunity.
 
Becca Dup (Albert Lea, Minn.) certainly made the most of the 50-degree day at the Saint Mary's Track and Field Complex, breaking her own outdoor record in the long jump, taking second with a leap of 5.57 meters, while also placing third in the triple jump with a leap of 11.48m
 
Rachel Ohde (Chetek, Wis.) chipped in a fourth in the high jump (1.50m), while Danielle Franke (Mounds View, Minn.) placed sixth in the steeplechase (12:41.62) and Emily Ortiz (Albert Lea, Minn.) added a sixth in the 5,000 (21:42.15). Hanna Crowe (Baraboo, Wis.) and Kynzie Smedsrud (Luverne, Minn.), meanwhile, chipped in a seventh (1:08.81) and 11th (1:11.9) in the 400 meter hurdles respectively.
 
On the men's side, Ross Kinderman (Onalaska, Wis.) led the Cardinal charge, earning a first-place finish in the javelin with a toss of 48.90m—the third-best performance in school history.
 
Desmond Steward (Bayside, Wis.) added a second in the triple jump (13.17m), and Jordan Malikowski (Royalton, Minn.) and Isaiah Olsem (Fulda, Minn.) finished fourth (10:33.21) and fifth (10:44.07), respectively, in the steeplechase.
 
The men's 4x100 meter relay team—Andrew Allemann (Cochrane, Wis.), Noah Anderson (St. Paul, Minn.), Matthew Boone (Mindoro, Wis.), and Nathan Hoglund (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) added a third-place time of 43.61—the fourth-fastest time in school history, with Anderson placing fourth in the 200 (22.27), and Christian Beamer (Two Harbors, Minn.) adding a fifth in the high jump (1.85m).
 
The Cardinals hit the road next Friday, heading to La Crosse, Wis., to take part in the UW-La Crosse Phil Esten Challenge.