MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Racing against primarily D-I and D-II competition, Jerry Cook-Gallardo (Jr./Moscow, Idaho/Moscow) kicked off the 2017 indoor track and field season with a flourish, taking third in the mile run at the U of M’s Minnesota Open with a time of 4:17.20.

Cook-Gallardo was the lone Division III student-athlete among the top 15 finishers in the 29-racer field. In fact, among the top eight placeholders, he was the only one that was not a part of the track program at the University of Minnesota (D-I).

Joey Duerr won the race with a time of 4:16.06, but the next four-fastest times were within a second. Minnesota’s Owen Hoeft bettered Cook-Gallardo by 0.36 seconds, but the Carleton junior edged the Gophers’ Eva Frelic and Wayde Hall by 0.08 and 0.38 seconds. All five of those times bettered the mark of the 2015 and 2016 winners at this same meet.

While Cook-Gallardo was the lone Knight at this meet, he should see a lot more friendly faces at his next competition as he joins his teammates in hosting the Carleton Triangular on Friday, Jan. 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Recreation Center.

-------------------