RALEIGH, NC. – The Fighting Irish track and field team opened their outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays. The team captured multiple top-25 finishes and one event title in their first outing of the season.
Olivia Markezich claimed first place in the women’s 5000 meter race with a time of 15:33.62. Katie Thronson took fifth in the event but also collected a personal best with a time of 15:44.56. Siona Chisholm earned a top-15 finish when she crossed the finish line at 15:53.83.
The men’s 10000 meter run featured Kevin Berry taking seventh place with a time of 28:41.14, and earned himself a personal best. Ethan Coleman also ran in the race where he took eleventh place with a time of 28:46.93. Erin Strzelecki and Katie Rose Blachowicz represented the team in the 10000 meter run. Strzelecki finished with a time of 34:14.22. With that time she claimed 22nd place. Blchowicz crossed the finish line at 35:07.92.
Jake Renfree, Nick Mota, and Carter Cheeseman all ran in the men’s 5000 meter. Renfree finished in 14:00.26, while teammates Mota and Cheeseman crossed the finish line at 14:30.51 and 14:37.70. Mota tallied a personal best in the race.
Sarah Flight tied for sixth place in the women’s high jump, and led the Irish with a mark of 1.67 meters. Arianna Martinez also hit a mark of 1.67 meters to take eleventh place. Alaina Brady, Jadin O’Brien, and Madison Schmidt all hit a mark of 1.62 meters.
The men’s 3000 meter steeplechase saw Tom Seitzer collect a top ten finish with a time of 8:46.91. Teammate CJ Singleton wasn’t far behind as he finished in thirteenth with a time of 8:52.13. Henry Chapman collected a top-25 finish when he crossed the finish line at 9:01.18. Ryan Schumacher ran for a time of 9:24.19. The women’s team had Anna Sophia Keller and Sophie Novak represent the Irish in the steeplechase. Keller finished in seventh place with a time of 10:16.41. Novak finished with a time of 10:31.50 and claimed 12th place.
Daelen Ackley led the Irish in the 1500 meter run. Ackely ran for a time of 3:42.95 and collected a tenth place finish while teammate Jackson Storey crossed the finish line at 3:47.69. Nick Miller finished the race with a time of 3:48.60.
Katilin Ryan ran in the women’s 1500 meter run for a time of 4:22.46. Teammates Molly Grant and Paige Grant also ran in the race and collected times of 4:33.62 and 4:33.94, respectively. Aimee Hayde crossed the finish line at 4:39.65.
In the men’s 400 meter run John Oleksak finished with a time of 48.86. This time for him earned him a new personal best. Luke Phillips also established a new personal best with a time of 49.89. On the women’s side, Eve Balseiro finished at 55.53 and Remy Finn crossed the finish line at 57.19. Finn also represented in the 200 meter race with a time of 25.02.
Jadin O’Brien and Alaina Brady both claimed top-12 finishes in the women’s 100 meter hurdles. Brady claimed eighth place with a time of 13.70 and tallied a new personal best. O’Brien ran for a time of 13.83 to take eleventh place. Caroline Lewis finished with a time of 14.56.
In the women’s 400 meter hurdles, Reese Sanders, Molly Bennett and Caroline Isemann all ran for the Irish. Sanders finished at 1:02.96, Bennett at 1:03.63, and Isemann at 1:09.47.
The Irish are back in action next weekend when they travel to Texas Relays on March 29-April 1 and the Pacesetter Sports Invitational March 31-April 1.