NORTHFIELD, Minn. – At Saturday's Meet of the Hearts, Katherine Geist (So./Crookston, Minn./Crookston) broke the Carleton College women's track & field record for the indoor 800-meter run. That was 1 of 4 event victories for the Knights on the day. A total of 14 schools were represented at this meet.
 
"The Meet of The Hearts has proven to be a great meet for our athletes, whether it's due to hosting a big competition at home or the fact that their training is coming together to gear up for the championships-the athletes have always put on a good show, and today was amazing," said Carleton head coach Donna Ricks.
 
In her first collegiate half mile, Geist clocked a time of 2:15.89, the second-fastest time in the MIAC this season and bettering the previous program standard of 2:16.03 held by Kate Ainsworth since the 1996 NCAA Indoor Championships.
 
Lara Erickson (Fy./Columbia Falls, Mont./Columbia Falls) and Amy Kropp (Sr./Logan, Utah/Logan) established new personal bests in the event as their times of 2:22.14 and 2:23.83, respectively, were good for third and fourth place. Kate Ulrich (Fy./Waconia, Minn./Waconia) also raced the distance for the first time and took seventh with a time of 2:26.99
 
"Katherine immediately took command of the race," said Ricks. "She has shown the past several meets that she is a fierce competitor, demonstrating she is one of the top mid-distance runners in the MIAC. The 800 meters was a strong race for our team, as Lara, Amy, and Kate all had strong performances. That's exactly what our team needs right now."
 
Nayeli Williams (Fy./Minneapolis, Minn./Brooklyn Center) won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.60 meters. She also place third in the long jump with a distance of 5.13 meters, good for eighth place in team annals.
 
"Nayeli had a breakthrough meet in the short hurdles, running a flawless race," Ricks said. "Hurdle workouts this week indicated she was prepared to go, and Nayeli had several goals in mind for this meet. No. 1 on that list was move ahead of her mother, Kim Davis, on Carleton's All-Time Top-10 List, and she did so with flying colors, earning fifth place in program history, two positions in front of her very proud mom."
 
Jocelyn Ferguson (So./Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis South) ran away from the field in the 600-meter run, notching a 10.5-second margin of victory as she reach the line at 1:38.68. She ranks No. 3 in the MIAC this season and vaults into fourth place in the team record book.
 
"Jocelyn is a young talent in the long races on the track," said Ricks. "Her favorite is the 400 meters. Today she raced to first place in the 600 meters, running nearly four seconds faster than her previous effort and moving her into fourth place in Carleton's All-Time Top-10. Racing Jocelyn looks effortless and is a joy to watch compete."
 
With her time of 10:22.61, Helen Cross (So./Nederland, Colo./Nederland) led the Knights to a 1-2-3 finish in the 3000-meter run. Sophie McManus (Fy./McCall, Idaho/McCall-Donnelly) and Phoebe Ward (So./Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) placed second and third, respectively, at 10:30.76 and 10:38.68. All three established new personal bests, and Cross now ranks No. 3 in the MIAC this season.
 
"Helen is the type of athlete that I often refer to as a pillar of strength," Ricks said. "She works hard and puts forth her best in every competition. Today she won the 3K while improving her personal best by nearly 10 seconds, and she accomplished this feat entirely on her own as she led from the start."
 
Other top-5 results for the Knights:
• Ineke Cordova (Sr./Denver, Colo./Denver Christian) finished in fifth place for the 400-meter dash with a personal-best time of 1:03.84.
• Eve Farrell (Sr./Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi) set a new PR with her time of 1:49.20 in the 600-meter run. That was good for second place.
• Mary Blanchard (So./Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) trimmed more than 10 seconds off her previous PR in the mile. She finished at 5:16.34, good for second place behind a NCAA Division I runner.
• Libby Rowland (Fy./Tulsa, Okla./Holland Hall) took fifth in the 3K, crossing the line at 10:47.47.
• Carleton's entry in the 4x200-meter relay— Riley Roberts (So./Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington), Amira Aladetan (So./Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center), Thea Traw (Fy./Portland, Ore./Catlin Gabel), and Audrey Parrott (Fy./Green Isle, Minn./Sibley East)—clocked a season-best time of 1:54.20 to take third place.
• Ferguson, Williams, Kropp, and Sydney Marsh (Sr./Austin, Minn./Austin) combined on a season-best time of 4:09.80 to earn second in the 4x400-meter relay. Carleton's 'B' squad took fifth place in the race at 4:25.66
• Grace Blanchette (Jr./Honolulu , Hawaii/Punahou) tied for fifth in the high jump after clearing 1.43 meters on her first attempt.
• Marsh tied for fifth in the pole vault as she cleared a season-best 3.21 meters.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton is slated to compete at the St. Olaf Women's Invitational on Friday, Feb. 18. That will be the team's final tune up before the MIAC Championships on Feb. 24-26.