BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - The Gustavus women's track & field team picked up nine honors at the MIAC Indoor Track & Field Conference Championships, led by senior Molly Liston (Richfield, Minn.) winning the 5000-meter, while the team overall finished seventh.

Liston is the only all-conference honoree on the track for the women, taking second in the 3000-meter with a time of 10:08.68 and then winning the 5000-meter, crossing at 17:13.28. Liston matched up against Hannah Preisser of Carleton in both races, with one outkicking the other each time. Liston trailed behind Preisser for most of the 5000-meter race until the final straightaway, where Liston made her move and became the only winner of any event during the weekend for the Gusties on the men's or women's side. First-year Ava Loftness (Prior Lake, Minn.) continued her strong indoor season, finishing third in the triple jump by leaping 11.25m. Loftness will compete this weekend at the UW-La Crosse Final Qualifier, attempting to qualify for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships by improving her mark. Currently, the cut is at 11.56m, which is subject to change with other athletes competing this weekend. 

The Gusties earned six honorable mention distinctions, starting with sophomore Laura Thauvin (Mankato, Minn.) in the 55-meter finals on Saturday morning, finishing fourth with a time of 8.64. Sophomore classmate Allison Stacy (Maple Grove, Minn.) finished in sixth in the 200-meter, clocking a time of 26.51 on Saturday, earning honorable mention status by one hundredth of a second and just out of eighth place by two hundredths of a second. 

First-year Kaylee Hawks (Prior Lake, Minn.) was the only member of the team to earn honorable mention status in the field, finishing fourth in the triple jump by leaping 10.92m and then finishing sixth in high jump by getting over 1.54m. Two relays earned honorable mention distinction as well, starting with the 4x200-meter on Friday night, consisting of Stacy, first-years Sophia Vogel (Prinsburg, Minn.) and Loftness, concluded by senior Isabel Fynboh (Morris, Minn.) which got sixth place with a time of 1:47.41. The 4x400-meter team also got sixth place, consisting of senior Lauren Rocheford (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), sophomore Teagan Stark (Glenwood, Minn.), first-year Katja Wallin (Arden Hills, Minn.) and Fynboh, crossing in 4:06.89. 

Loftness will compete this weekend at the UW-La Crosse Final Qualifier and joins Liston as an NCAA Championships hopeful, which takes place on March 13th and 14th. The rest of the team will reset and get ready for the outdoor season, which starts on March 28th at the Saint John's Optimistic Open.