MANKATO, Minn. – For the third consecutive season and fifth time in program history, Minnesota State women's track and field claimed the NSIC Outdoor Championship Saturday at Mark Schuck Outdoor Track & Field Complex in dominant fashion.
 
The NCAA Division II three day event, hosted on MSU campus featured NSIC record performances, facility record times and Olympic qualifiers. The Mavericks topped the chart with 252 points in a 14-team field. UMary (125), Sioux Falls (98.5), Augustana (85) and Minnesota Duluth (43) followed in the top five.
 
"I think this was one of the coolest atmospheres I've been at for the conference meet in my 20 years," said men's and women's track & field head coach Mike Turgeon. "All around outstanding performances from our team but also other teams was great to see. We finally had some quality weather and we were ready to go as a result."
 
After impressing in prelims Friday, senior sprinter Denisha Cartwright (Nassau, Bahamas) turned in another record setting afternoon.
 
In 100 meter hurdles, Cartwright charged across the line with a blistering personal best time of 12.60 (+1.6). The mark broke the NSIC record, facility record and MSU program record. She also reached the Olympic A Standard and set the NCAA Division II All-Time Record.
 
In addition, Cartwright's time was the second fastest in collegiate outdoor track this season (all divisions) and the 15^th quickest time in women's 100 meter hurdles in collegiate history, equaling Priscilla Lopes (2006, Nebraska) and Cindy Sember (2015, Michigan).
 
"Coach Parno and I really felt that in the right atmosphere in the finals, she could do something special," Turgeon said. "For her to go out and run the 15^th fastest time in the world, hit the Olympic A Standard and now she'll be in the Olympic games, breaking the Division II record by a tenth, just what a stellar performance.
 
She's so driven, so dialed into everything Coach Parno teaches. Our training staff has done a tremendous job keeping her healthy through everything that hurdlers go through."
 
Not to be outdone, the Mavericks also took podium positions 2-4 in the 100 meter hurdles. Junior Adeyah Brewster was second after setting a Division II second best time of 13.17, a personal record. Third was Esaba Okwaramoi (13.66), good for fifth in Division II and a personal best. Fourth across was Roxan Foster (13.69), with a personal record in her final NSIC Outdoor Championships at MSU.
 
"We are such big believers in depth here," Turgeon said. "If you have it, you can get so dominant. We want to place four athletes in as many events as possible at the conference meet."
 
Cartwright continued in the 200 meter finals, where she placed first with a season best and facility record time of 23.07, good for second in Division II this spring. Teammate Le'Nehja Norwood (24.07) crossed fourth and Tijuanique Morton (24.43) was fifth.
 
The 100 meter dash was won by Cartwright with a facility record time of 11.30. Brewster was also fourth in 11.62 (24^th in Division II).
 
Cartwright was not the only MSU athlete to break NSIC records on Saturday. Senior Paige Hickson posted a pole vault mark of 4.21 meters (13'9.75") for first place and a facility record. Hope Stangel came in third at a height of 3.71 meters (12' 2.0").
 
Both Ghada Hamdani (Minnesota State) and Kaja Salemonsen (Augustana) surpassed the NSIC record in women's triple jump and it was Hamdani with a first place line in the sand at 12.86 meters (42'2.25"), third best in Division II this season. Teammates Stella Neophytou (12.83 meters, 42'1.25") and Lillian Washington (12.68 meters, 41'7.25") were third and fourth respectively, both inside the top 10 nationally.
 
The Mavericks dominated in discus throw. Senior Madeline Fretag won the event with a heave of 47.42 meters (155'7"). Aubri Brown took second place with a throw of 47.17 meters (154'9"), a personal record good for 18^th in Division II. Fretag also won the shot put on Friday for MSU.
 
"I was telling our young throwers that Madeline was somebody who had struggled at conference meets in the past," Turgeon said. "Her best finish was seventh. Then this year as a senior she won two conference titles indoor and two more outdoor, so what an incredible turnaround that young woman has made. It's excited to see what she is going to do next. She's a female in the engineering career field and there's a bright future for her."
 
Senior Eilika Lane, recognized on Saturday for the NSIC Elite 18 Award, won the 400 meter hurdle finals for MSU with a personal record time of 1:00.34, 20^th in Division II this spring. Lane also performed well in 400 meters with a second place time of 54.45, 21^st in Division II and a personal best. Teammate Elizabeth Schmidt crossed in fourth (57.19).
 
Senior MaKenna Thurston carried took home first prize in 1500 meter run. Her 21^st best time in Division II was 4:25.19 and a personal record. Madison Matzek represented MSU's top finish in the 5000 meter run with a ninth place finish of 17:52.85.
 
The day ended on track with relays. Cartwright joined forces with Brewster, Morton, and Rose Cramer and won the 4x100 meter relay in a facility record 45.26 seconds, ahead of UMary (46.06). Minnesota State also won the 4x400 meter relay in 3:50.25 with the group of Miranda Lauvstad, Lane, Victoriia Ermolaeva and Schmidt.
 
The Mavericks' third straight outdoor conference title followed their fourth straight indoor title in February.
 
Minnesota State women's outdoor track and field ranked No. 5 in Division II in this week's USTFCCCA Team Ratings Index. The NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships are set for May 23-25 at Emporia, Kansas with entries announced next week.
 
"We're going to have some rest because this was a big meet that drained everyone," Turgeon reflected. "We've been pushing them pretty hard but we'll have a couple days of rest and then start to gear up on Wednesday. Our men's and women's teams both made dramatic strides. We just needed weather. Our big goal is to win a trophy on the women's side and then get to the top six or top eight on the men's side, then build from there because anything can happen at the national meet."