MANKATO, Minn. - Gustavus track & field traveled to Mankato for the Todd Pfingsten Open on Wednesday and brought home 14 top-five finishes in their last trip to Mankato for the season. 

On the track, the highlight for the team was the 3000-meter steeplechase, where three of the four competitors finished in the top five. Sophomore Matthew Berge (Eden Prairie, Minn.) led the group, finishing in a personal-best time of 10:14.97. First-year Caden Riga (Belle Plaine, Minn.) and sophomore Matthew Trzynka (Osseo, Minn.) also had personal bests in the top five, crossing in 10:17.74 and 10:50.02, respectively. 

The first personal-best of the day on the women's side came for first-year Sophia Vogel (Prinsburg, Minn.), whose 15.04 time in the 100-meter hurdles qualified her for finals and sits as the 80th best mark in Division III this year. Vogel brought in her second personal best of the day in the 200-meter, running a 26.70. Both first-year Grace Bailey (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and sophomore Teagan Stark (Glenwood, Minn.) both had personal bests in the 400-meter, finishing in 1:01.47, good for fourth place, and 1:02.79, respectively. In the 5000-meter, there were three personal bests, all from first-years. Siiri Anderson (Duluth, Minn.) crossed in 19:23.79 for fourth place, followed by Vivian Hatlevig (Rochester, Minn.) with a 21:06.37 and a 21:12.15 for Lilly Schulte (Golden Valley, Minn.). 

In the field for the men, there were four personal bests across five top-five performances, starting with the discus, where junior Wyatt Hudspith (Esko, Minn.) finished fifth and first-year Jacob Ullrich (Granite Falls, Minn.) heaved a personal-best 33.96m. Both first-year Carter Will (Bloomfield, Minn.) and sophomore Jacob Widdes (Duluth, Minn.) had their top marks of their young careers in the hammer throw as well, with 50.33m and 40.05m marks, respectively. Sophomore Kyler Flunker (Mankato, Minn.) continued his stellar season in the high jump, finishing second with a 1.99m clearance and first-year Taylor Young (Stillwater, Minn.) and junior Ben Wynia (Blaine, Minn.) rounded off the top-five finishes, going three-four in the triple jump. 

Junior Olivia Duncan (Savage, Minn.) had the best mark of the day regardless, throwing a 43.77m in the discus for the No. 26 mark in Division III this season. First-year Ellie Ludwig (Mendota Heights, Minn.) also brought in a personal-best, heaving the javelin 19.20m. In the pole vault, two dual-sport athletes, sophomores Kate Clairmont (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and Autumn Schmidt (Lakeville, Minn.) both cleared 3.19m in the pole vault for personal bests before the first-year Prior Lake duo of Ava Loftness and Kaylee Hawks swept the triple jump to finish the meet, jumping 11.65m and a new Division III No. 38 11.43m, respectively. 

The MIAC Multi Championship begins tomorrow at Carleton, while the rest of the team will compete on Saturday at the Ole Open.