MORRIS, Minn. -- The UW-Superior women's track and field team holds a one-point lead after the first day if the 2019 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the campus of the University of Minnesota Morris Friday.
 
Senior middle-distance runner Kelli Praska (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) won one of two events for the Yellowjackets on the day, outpacing the field in the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.00 to help the UWS to a slim 95-94 lead over the championship-host Cougars heading into competition Saturday. St. Scholastica currently sits in third with 80.5 total points.
 
Sophomore vaulter Amber Heidenreich (Phillips, Wis./Hayward) also won the pole vault for Superior, giving the 'Jackets. She cleared 3.17 meters (10 feet, 4.75 inches) for the victory. Valerie Rowe (Ironwood, Mich./A.D. Johnston) was third with a vault of 3.03 meters (nine feet, 10.75 inches).
 
UWS also earned four second-place finishes. Ali Manthey (Zimmerman, Minn./Elk River) lewasd of a group of three 'Jackets in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 12:27.61, Rowe was second in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.14, LeAnn Torgerson (Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors) was second in the 200 meters in 26.79 and Maria Mazo (Hendaye, France/Irungo La Salle) was second in the long jump at 5.01 meters (16 feet, 5.25 inches).
 
Haruka Hamanaka (Izumisano, Japan/Kishiwada) finished fourth in the steeplechase in 12:42.58, while Mathea Brink (Rochester, Minn./Century) was fifth in 13:50.30.
 
Michaela Ruhman (Brule, Wis./Northwestern) followed Praska in the 800 in fourth place in 2:25.63. Via Prince (Spokane Valley, Wash./University) followed Torgerson in the 200 in sixth in a time of 28.26            . Emma Street (Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis) was eighth in the 400 hurdles in 1:19.77, behind Rowe.
 
Carson Haase (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) placed third in the hammer throw with a best effort of 43.08 meters (141 feet, four inches).
 
Mazo paced three 'Jackets in the javelin throw. She was fifth with a toss of 24.70 meters (81 feet), Street was seventh 22.20 meters (72 feet, 10 inches) and Heidenreich eighth in 21.43 meters (70 feet, four inches).
 
Superior closed the day with a third-place showing in the 4x800-meter relay as Nicole Koski (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon), Hamanaka, Manthey and Praska stopped the clock at 10:37.11.
 
Day two of the meet begins at 11 a.m., Saturday.