The Fighting Bee Invitational took place at the Roell Indoor Track, marking the final meet hosted by St. Ambrose for the 2022 indoor track season. The meet was a big one, with 15 teams competing in the two-day meet.

Women's Meet

Senior sprinter Megan Jansett got the Bees started on the track with two strong performances. Jansett went fifth in the 200m dash (26.96) and took second in the 400m dash (1:01.11). Paige Crippes placed seventh in the 200m dash with a time of 27.38. Karissa Koval finished in sixth place in the 600m dash, cruising to a 1:47.62.

Emma Duncan led the way for the Bees in the 3000m run, hitting a time of 11:12.83 to finish second. Leah Rose placed second in her signature event, as well, blitzing to a time of 9.49 to take the silver medal. Lauryn Bennett took eighth in the 60m hurdles (11.09).

The quartet of Gabbi Butler, Jadie Knecht, Crippes, and Koval teamed up to take the bronze in the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:17.47.

In the field events, Tara Ryan cleared 2.75m in the pole vault to place fifth. St. Ambrose had a strong showing in the long jump, with the three Bees placing; Lexis Johnson placed second (4.90m), Madalyn Oltman placed third (4.77m), and Lily Olsen placing sixth (J4.63m).

Olsen also placed in the triple jump, taking fifth with a jump of 9.85m. Rose took home another medal with a third-place jump in the triple (10.36m). Annah Miller continued her strong season in the shot put, placing fifth with a 12.45m throw.

The St. Ambrose women collected 81 points to claim third at the Fighting Bee Invitational. No. 4-ranked St. Francis (Ill.) won the meet with a team score of 124 points.

Men's Meet

The meet kicked off on Friday with the men's heptathlon. St. Ambrose had two competitors in the multi-event, with Marquan Quinn placing third with 3451 points and Keegan Anderson finishing in fourth with 2064 points.

Will Reemtsma took the gold in the 400m dash in a photo finish with Kaizer Giddie from St. Francis (Ill.), with Reemtsma edging out the win by three-thousandths of a second, 50.021 to 50.024. In the 600m dash, Jonny Swarm took fifth with a strong run (1:26.65). 

Nolan Rudd had a stellar performance in the 300m run, taking second place with a time of 8:40.70. Rudd's time broke the St. Ambrose school record by seven seconds and hits an NAIA "A" standard in the event. This is Rudd's second SAU school record, holding the cross country 8k record set in the fall of 2021.

George Barton and Luke Benes both scored points in the 3000m as well, with Barton finishing eighth (9:19.75) and Benes finishing ninth (9:19.75). Will Dowda continued the success for the Bees in the distance events, going sixth in the 5000m run (16:30.06).

St. Ambrose had a great showing in the 60m hurdles, going three-four-five in the event. Ben Wilson took third (8.74), Reemtsma took fourth (8.75), and Will Kruse finished fifth (8.79).

The Bees shined in the high jump, with Justin Griser placing second (1.78m), Simon Holland taking third (1.73m), and Isaac Mojica placing fifth (1.68m). Mojica also placed seventh in the pole vault (3.20m), while Jacob Rossmiller cleared 3.65m to tie for second in the pole vault. Anderson also placed in the pole vault, finishing in eighth (3.05m).

Teagan Bowers and Justin Wright both placed in the long jump, with Bowers going fifth (6.60m) and Wright placing eighth (6.40m). Bowers and Wright continued their success in the triple jump, with Bowers taking second (12.76m) and Wright placing fourth (12.63m). Quantrell Polk also placed in the triple, hitting a 12.08m mark to place seventh.

Two-time CCAC Field Athlete of the Week Mick Saloninas won another shot put event, this time blasting off a 16.79m throw to take gold. Jonah Wilson collected a medal in the same event, hitting a 15.78m mark to take third. Both Saloninas and Wilson hit the "A" standard in the event. Alec Seifert placed eighth in the shot put at 13.97m. Payton Woods and Hunter Kasap placed sixth (14.59m) and seventh (14.04m) in the weight throw, respectively.

The SAU men finished as the meet runner-up with 131 points. The No. 3-ranked Grand View Vikings scored 158 points to win the Fighting Bee Invitational.

The St. Ambrose track and field teams will hit the road next weekend, traveling to Maryville, Mo. to compete in the Northwest Missouri State Bearcat Open.