SIOUX FALL, S.D. – The Concordia-St. Paul Track and Field team opened up their outdoor season at the Vance Butler Invitational at Howard Wood Field on the campus of Augustana College.
 
The Golden Bears collected four top-5 finishes and eight top-10 finishes on the day as the team looked to get some work in and get off to a strong start in their first action outdoors.
 
Martina Ware, coming off a trip to NCAA IDTF Championships, put up a solid performance as she placed second in the shot put. Ware fell just over half a foot short of the school record as she finished with a distance of 43'1.75".
 
Freshman Gretchen Feilen came even closer to setting a school record as she was an inch and a half shy of Joy Wubben's record in the high jump, set back in 2003. Feilen took home a seventh place finish with a height of 5'0.25".
 
Esther Jandrich (pole vault) and Gloria Williams (100m) also finished inside the top-10 in their events, as did the 4x400 relay team on the women's side.
 
On the men's side, the two relay teams shined as they both finished in the top-3. The 4x100  relay team, featuring Marvuavius Taylor, Vantwon Melton, Keante Johnson and Tyler Naumowicz were just .26 seconds short of a top finish as they took home silver with a time of 43.97. The 4x400 relay team, Melton, Taylor, Naumowicz and Adam Hausken, were nearly as successful as they were just over two seconds behind the top finisher as they finished third with a time of 3:27.57.
 
Josh Johanson also earned a spot as the third place finisher in the high jump as he cleared 6'2.75" in his first outdoor collegiate meet.
 
Women's Results
100 Meter Dash
Gloria Williams – 12.46 7^th
LaKeya Rudolph – 13.87 20^th
 
400 Meter Dash
Sarah Pieper – 1:06.73 24^th
Erika Shady – 1:09.63 27^th
 
1500 Meter Run
Jordan Gray – 5:11.92 15^th
Maggie Marcus – 5:13.64 18^th
 
100 Meter Hurdles
Wakpor Ighovojah – 17.96 16^th
 
4x400 Meter Relay
Sarah Pieper, Erika Shady, Jordan Gray, Maggie Marcus – 4:22.34 6^th
 
High Jump
Gretchen Feilen – 5'0.25" 7^th
 
Pole Vault
Esther Jandrich – 11'5.75" 6^th
 
Shot Put
Martina Ware – 43'1.75" 2^nd
 
Javelin Throw
Wakpor Ighovojah – 78'11.6" 13^th
 
 
Men's Results
100 Meter Dash
Marquavius Taylor – 11.38 17^th
Keante Johnson – 11.40 19^th
 
400 Meter Dash
Adam Hausken – 52.43 13^th
 
1500 Meter Run
Nic Rudolph – 4:21.83 28^th
 
4x100 Meter Relay
Marquavius Taylor, Vantwon Melton, Keante Johnson, Tyler Naumowicz – 43.97 2^nd
 
4x400 Meter Relay
Vantwon Melton, Marquavius Taylor, Tyler Naumowicz, Adam Hausken – 3:27.57 3^rd
 
High Jump
Josh Johanson – 6'2.75" 3^rd
 
Long Jump
Howard Jones – 17'1.25" 19^th
 
Shot Put
John Gabrielson – 42'5.5" 16^th
 
Javelin Throw
Micah Niebuhr – 110'7" 13^th