Wake Forest University
Duke Invitational
Deacs Earn Podium Sweep on Final Day of Duke Invitational
4/8/2023 6:14:00 PM | Track and Field
Emma Soderstrom grabbed gold for the first time this season.
DURHAM, N.C. – The Wake Forest men's and women's outdoor track & field teams wrapped up the Duke Invitational with four podium finishes, including a podium sweep Saturday at Morris Williams Stadium in Durham. The Demon Deacons finished the weekend with 11 top-10 finishes and six podiums.
For the second time this season, the women's shot put squad earned a podium sweep. Ashlyn Giles earned gold as she tossed 15.19m. It was Giles' second top-10 finish of the weekend (women's discus). Amanda Schaare (14.92m) finished second and Casey Sullivan tossed a personal-best 14.28m to round out the top three.
Emma Soderstrom picked up her first podium of the season with a first-place finish after clearing 1.71m in the women's high jump. Meghan O'Malley (1.61m) finished 11th in the event.
Mason Ellis notched a fifth-place finish in the men's shot put as he tossed 16.11m. Connor Mathis finished 11th in the event and threw 14.65m.
Notable Weekend Finishes
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Women's Hammer
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7) Sophie Perez Gonzalez, 57.40m
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14) Katrina Andreassen, 55.21m
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Men's Hammer
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11) Jack Pihlkar, 59.43m
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16) Jake Goldberg, 56.57m
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19) Mason Ellis, 52.65m
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Women's Discus
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1) Leia Braunagel, 52.03m
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7) Ashlyn Giles, 47.19m
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17) Amanda Schaare, 44.18m
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Men's Discus
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3) Andrew White, 55.52m
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13) Connor Mathis, 47.02m
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24) Mason Ellis, 43.14m
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Women's 1500m
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7) Carolien Millenaar, 4:33.52
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14) Caroline Garrett, 4:35.90
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17) Elise Wright, 4:36.41
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19) Mackenzie Hart, 4:36.86
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Women's 1500m Invite
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8) Lydia van Dijk, 4:23.82
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17) Amy Harding-Delooze, 4:26.20
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18) Elizabeth Whaley, 4:26.29
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Men's 1500m Invite
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15) Paul Specht, 3:45.54
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Women's High Jump
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1) Emma Soderstrom, 1.71m
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11) Meghan O'Malley, 1.61m
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Women's Shot Put
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1) Ashlyn Giles, 15.19m
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2) Amanda Schaare, 14.92m
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3) Casey Sullivan, 14.28m
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Women's 400m
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17) Bianca Nolde-Lopez, 58.22
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Men's Shot Put
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5) Mason Ellis, 16.11m
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11) Connor Mathis, 14.65
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Women's 800m
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15) Laura Giudice, 2:12.72
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From Friday
Carolien Millenaar clocked a 4:33.52 in the women's 1500m and placed seventh. Caroline Garrett (4:35.90) and Elise Wright (4:36.41) finished in 14th and 17th, respectively. Mackenzie Hart (4:36.86) made it four Demon Deacons in the top 20 with a 19th-place finish.
In the women's 1500m invite, Lydia van Dijk grabbed an eighth-place finish at 4:23.82. Amy Harding-Delooze (4:26.20) and Elizabeth Whaley (4:26.29) notched 17th and 18th placed finishes in the event.
On the men's side, Paul Specht led the way with a time of 3:45.54 and finished 15th.
From Thursday
For the second-consecutive week and third time this season, Leia Braunagel picked up a gold medal in the women's discus. The graduate student tossed a 52.03m, just 0.71m short of her program record in the event which she set earlier this season. Ashlyn Giles (47.19m) notched a top-10 finish of her own. Of note, the Wake Forest women's discus squad was ranked #8 in the nation earlier this week.
Following a lengthy rain delay, Andrew White finished the men's discus with a 55.52m for the bronze medal. It marks the graduate's third podium finish of the season. Connor Mathis notched a 13th-place finish with a season-best 47.02m in the event.
Sophie Perez Gonzalez recorded a personal-best 57.40m in the women's hammer and grabbed a seventh-place finish. The mark is the second-best in program history as the freshman continued her impressive first season with the Demon Deacons. Additionally, Katrina Andreassen (55.21m) also threw a personal best with the third-best in program history.
Jack Pihlkar (59.43m) and Jake Goldberg (56.57m) finished in 11th and 16th, respectively, for the No. 10 ranked men's hammer squad. Mason Ellis recorded a personal-best 52.65m for a 19th-placed finish.
From the Staff
"The weather wasn't great, so it allowed our team to compete in adverse conditions. It's beneficial to get that experience because you learn a lot about a person when things aren't perfect and they have to step up and compete. Now we look ahead to our home meet in two weeks. It will be nice to compete at Kentner again. It looks like we will have a great group of alum and families attending the meet. We are hopeful that they make this an annual experience and reconnect with old friends and teammates." - Director of track & field and cross country John Hayes
"The weather this weekend presented us with an opportunity to be tough and not let poor conditions prevent us from competing to the best of our ability. We can't control the weather, but we can control our attitudes. I'm proud of the fight I saw from the women. They didn't let the cold, wind, or rain prevent them from competing hard and getting better. We are all very excited for our home meet in two weeks!" - Associate head coach Ashley Bastron
"I'm really proud of how the group handled the weather this weekend. We had hot and sticky, lightning delays, cold and rainy. The throwers stepped up and handled business ." - Associate head coach Collin Post
"We had a mixed bag of performances on the men's distance side. It was great to have Zach back racing after some down time and the highlight of the weekend was Paul Specht running a very competitive race and getting a new PB in the 1500. The other guys fought hard but let a little more to be desired. We look forward to putting in some more work these next two weeks before our home meet." - Assistant coach Brandon Hazouri
"It was a rainy few days for these girls but they came prepared and ready to compete! We are focused on getting better every week and looking forward to our next competition." - Assistant coach Holly Hankenson
Up Next
The Demon Deacons will now return home and prepare to host the Wake Forest Invitational in two weeks. The event will take place on Friday, April 21 at Kentner Stadium.
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