University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, February 27
Grand Forks, N.D.
9:30 a.m. CT
vs
Summit League Indoor Championships
Photo by: Russell Hons
Tommies claim two titles at 2026 Summit League Indoor Championships
3/1/2026 9:10:00 AM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
Keller and 4x400m relay earn women’s program’s first indoor event wins
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – St. Thomas indoor track & field team brought home two event titles at the 2026 Summit League Championships. The women placed fourth of eight teams with 79 points while the men took fourth of seven teams with 53 points.
Senior Olivia Keller claimed the pentathlon title and was part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team that also included Alexis Pratt, Rebecca Randleman and Katelyn Wozniak. The titles are the first for the women's indoor program since joining the Summit League in 2021.
The men totaled two podium finishes and 14 point scorers, including a second-place finish by Jayson Koel in the 200m dash in 21.53 and a third-place finish by Blake Burnstad in the 800m run in 1:49.72.
The women finished with three top-three finishes and 19 point scorers. The women set a program best 79 points, surpassing its previous high of 44 set at last season's indoor championship.
WOMEN
The Tommies' headline moment came in the 4x400 relay with a program-record 3:41.29 to claim the league title. Keller was part of the program's two event titles, winning the pentathlon with 3,822 points.
On the track, Pratt rewrote the record book in the 200 meters, clocking a program-record 24.03 in the finals after running 24.14 in prelims to break the previous mark. Danika Apple earned bronze in the 60-meter dash in 7.46 and also ran 24.10 in the 200 meters to rank second in program history.
Distance events also produced historic marks. Olivia Pauly set a program record in the 5,000 meters in 16:46.66, while Lindsay Berg moved to second all-time in the same event in 16:51.55. Layla Vennink broke the school record in the mile at 4:51.52 and added a second-place all-time program mark in the 800 meters (2:12.11). Elsie Kmecak added top-three program performances in the 3,000 meters (9:46.97) and top-10 marks in both the mile and 5,000 meters.
Additional top-10 program efforts came from Jayi Wilson (60m, 2nd), Rachel Kleinhans (60m hurdles, 5th), Wozniak (400m, 5th), Jacquelyn Cole (long jump, 6th), the distance medley relay squad (Malayh Metcalf, Tessa Campbell, Ellie Moore, Sophie Yetter, 8th), Brianna Fleek (60m hurdles, 8th), Ella Olson (high jump, 10th), Metcalf (Mile, 10th), and Ava Wolfe (60m dash, 10th).
MEN
The Tommie men delivered two program records and four top-two all-time marks, led by Jayson Koel's 21.47 in the 200m prelims. Koel's time set a new school record and positioned him for a strong championship showing, while he also moved to fifth in program history in the 60 meters at 6.87.
Sam Hebert added another record performance in the 400 meters, clocking 48.04 in the finals to establish a new program standard with a fourth-place finish. Blake Burnstad turned in one of the weekend's top podium efforts, placing third in the 800 meters in 1:49.72, the second-fastest time in school history.
Distance strength continued with Max Westerlund's 14:21.93 in the 5,000 meters, a sixth-place finish that ranks second all-time at St. Thomas. The 4x400-meter relay of Johnny Bezdicek, Albert Ongwenyi, Cameron Heppner and Hebert combined for 3:14.89 to finish fifth and move to second in program history, while the distance medley relay of Casey Poppler, Heppner, Cameron Reagen and Ethan Foote clocked 10:04.62, fourth all-time.
Braeden Brouwer's 8.09 in the 60-meter hurdles prelims climbed to third in program history, and Casey Poppler added a sixth all-time mile mark at 4:11.02. Jack Weigel (6.92) also cracked the program's top 10 in the 60 meters.
QUOTABLES
Men's Head Coach Pete Wareham:
"I am very proud of our team and how they performed this weekend. The league is very tough and our guys met the challenge head on. It was a combination of heart, talent and a mindset to dig deep and execute.
"Things come down to hundredths of a second and time and time again our guys won those battles. What I really liked is how each guy wanted to help the team. It was also helpful that our women had such a strong team performance as that inspired our guys.
"When you need to use the entire season to prepare for one meet and moment, it is a great feeling when you can make it happen."
Women's Head Coach Ashley Lucas:
"I truly could not be more proud of the team. They did exactly what was asked of them. They fought for every point. Was everything perfect? Absolutely not, but it rarely is in this sport. Regardless, everyone stepped up. They bought into the 'why not me, why not us' mentality. To see them rally around each other was truly remarkable. And it took every person, every single event group. It was a total team effort to accomplish what we did this weekend. I'm so, so proud."
FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Men's and Women's Track & Field, follow along on Twitter at @TommieXCTF. Follow both programs on Instagram at @tommiewxctf and @tommiemtfxc
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Senior Olivia Keller claimed the pentathlon title and was part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team that also included Alexis Pratt, Rebecca Randleman and Katelyn Wozniak. The titles are the first for the women's indoor program since joining the Summit League in 2021.
The men totaled two podium finishes and 14 point scorers, including a second-place finish by Jayson Koel in the 200m dash in 21.53 and a third-place finish by Blake Burnstad in the 800m run in 1:49.72.
The women finished with three top-three finishes and 19 point scorers. The women set a program best 79 points, surpassing its previous high of 44 set at last season's indoor championship.
WOMEN
The Tommies' headline moment came in the 4x400 relay with a program-record 3:41.29 to claim the league title. Keller was part of the program's two event titles, winning the pentathlon with 3,822 points.
On the track, Pratt rewrote the record book in the 200 meters, clocking a program-record 24.03 in the finals after running 24.14 in prelims to break the previous mark. Danika Apple earned bronze in the 60-meter dash in 7.46 and also ran 24.10 in the 200 meters to rank second in program history.
Distance events also produced historic marks. Olivia Pauly set a program record in the 5,000 meters in 16:46.66, while Lindsay Berg moved to second all-time in the same event in 16:51.55. Layla Vennink broke the school record in the mile at 4:51.52 and added a second-place all-time program mark in the 800 meters (2:12.11). Elsie Kmecak added top-three program performances in the 3,000 meters (9:46.97) and top-10 marks in both the mile and 5,000 meters.
Additional top-10 program efforts came from Jayi Wilson (60m, 2nd), Rachel Kleinhans (60m hurdles, 5th), Wozniak (400m, 5th), Jacquelyn Cole (long jump, 6th), the distance medley relay squad (Malayh Metcalf, Tessa Campbell, Ellie Moore, Sophie Yetter, 8th), Brianna Fleek (60m hurdles, 8th), Ella Olson (high jump, 10th), Metcalf (Mile, 10th), and Ava Wolfe (60m dash, 10th).
MEN
The Tommie men delivered two program records and four top-two all-time marks, led by Jayson Koel's 21.47 in the 200m prelims. Koel's time set a new school record and positioned him for a strong championship showing, while he also moved to fifth in program history in the 60 meters at 6.87.
Sam Hebert added another record performance in the 400 meters, clocking 48.04 in the finals to establish a new program standard with a fourth-place finish. Blake Burnstad turned in one of the weekend's top podium efforts, placing third in the 800 meters in 1:49.72, the second-fastest time in school history.
Distance strength continued with Max Westerlund's 14:21.93 in the 5,000 meters, a sixth-place finish that ranks second all-time at St. Thomas. The 4x400-meter relay of Johnny Bezdicek, Albert Ongwenyi, Cameron Heppner and Hebert combined for 3:14.89 to finish fifth and move to second in program history, while the distance medley relay of Casey Poppler, Heppner, Cameron Reagen and Ethan Foote clocked 10:04.62, fourth all-time.
Braeden Brouwer's 8.09 in the 60-meter hurdles prelims climbed to third in program history, and Casey Poppler added a sixth all-time mile mark at 4:11.02. Jack Weigel (6.92) also cracked the program's top 10 in the 60 meters.
QUOTABLES
Men's Head Coach Pete Wareham:
"I am very proud of our team and how they performed this weekend. The league is very tough and our guys met the challenge head on. It was a combination of heart, talent and a mindset to dig deep and execute.
"Things come down to hundredths of a second and time and time again our guys won those battles. What I really liked is how each guy wanted to help the team. It was also helpful that our women had such a strong team performance as that inspired our guys.
"When you need to use the entire season to prepare for one meet and moment, it is a great feeling when you can make it happen."
Women's Head Coach Ashley Lucas:
"I truly could not be more proud of the team. They did exactly what was asked of them. They fought for every point. Was everything perfect? Absolutely not, but it rarely is in this sport. Regardless, everyone stepped up. They bought into the 'why not me, why not us' mentality. To see them rally around each other was truly remarkable. And it took every person, every single event group. It was a total team effort to accomplish what we did this weekend. I'm so, so proud."
FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Men's and Women's Track & Field, follow along on Twitter at @TommieXCTF. Follow both programs on Instagram at @tommiewxctf and @tommiemtfxc
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
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