WINONA, Minn. – With just weeks to go before the 2023 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Yellowjacket women's track and field team was back in action Saturday, competing in just their second outdoor meet of the season.
 
The Yellowjackets headed south Saturday, competing at the Saint Mary's Invitational in Winona, and they had strong showings across the board in the early season meet.
 
In the sprints, freshman Colleen Claude (Centuria, Wis./Homeschool) had a good day, bringing home three top-five finishes in both track and field events. On the track, Claude placed fourth in the 400-meter dash, coming in with a time of 1:02.52, establishing a new personal record. In the 200-meter dash she placed fifth with a personal record time of 27.46 seconds. In the long jump, Claude placed fifth with a mark of 4.27 meters, also good for a PR. She just missed out on a top-ten finish in the 100-meter dash, placing 11th with a time of 13.71 seconds. That time was also a PR for Claude.
 
Halle Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) had another big day in the 5,000 meters, taking home first place with a time of 18:59.41. The time established a new lifetime personal record for Barker, bettering her old mark by a minute-and-five seconds. The win was her third of the 2023 season, but her first at an outdoor event. Barker's time is currently tops in the UMAC.
 
Other Yellowjackets who showed well in the 5,000 meters include Cora Hudella (North Branch, Minn./North Branch Area), Tea Boerner (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna Senior) and Jeanna Scanlon (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon), who placed sixth, eighth and ninth, respectively. Hudella (20:59.78) and Scanlon (22:21.55) set new personal records in the event.
 
After posting three big finishes at Whitewater last week, Myla Volk (Wabeno, Wis./Wabeno) had another strong meet, this time placing in the top ten in four events. On the track, Volk placed ninth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 21.69 seconds. In the field events, Volk placed sixth in the triple jump with a mark of 9.28 meters, seventh in the long jump with a mark of 4.32 meters and seventh in the high jump with a mark of 1.35 meters. All four finishes established new personal records for Volk.
 
Another Yellowjacket who performed well in both track and field events was Alexxa DeQuevedo (Silver Bay, Minn./William Kelley). She set a new personal record in the javelin, placing second with a mark of 33.18 meters. On the track, DeQuevedo placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time 1:10.28.
 
Senior thrower Kasha Hughlett (Maple, Wis./Northwestern) had another good day, placing fourth in the hammer throw with a mark of 43.32 meters. It was her top finish of the day. Hughlett reached a mark of 9.12 meters in the shot put, but fouled out in the discus.
 
Other top-ten finishes from the Yellowjackets came from Kenzy Kreuzer (Stoddard, Wis./De Soto) (3,000-meter steeplechase – sixth), Riley Wilson (Eagle River, Alaska/Eagle River) (400-meter hurdles – ninth), Sidney Bader (Milltown, Wis./Unity) (high jump – eighth), Jessica Newman (100-meter hurdles – eighth) and Cora Schmitz (Luck, Wis./Unity), who placed ninth in both the 100-meter dash and the long jump.
 
The Yellowjacket 4-x-400-meter relay team, comprised of Kreuzer, Wilson Hudella and Barker earned an eighth place finish.
 
In total, the Yellowjacket women established 27 new personal records at Saint Mary's Saturday.

Next up for the Yellowjackets is the Phil Esten Challenge, hosted by UW-La Crosse, April 21-22.