The Case Western Reserve University track and field team began its outdoor season last weekend at the Washington and Lee Track Carnival in Lexington, Virginia. The team combined to win five total events.

Graduate student Cassandra Laios broke the school record with a hammer throw of 51.62 meters, finishing first out of 25 athletes from 10 other schools. Laois beat her previous record, set in 2017, of 51.30 meters.

First-year Spartan Kayla Reece followed up in third with a throw of 40.44 meters and second-year teammate Emma Hammelef placed sixth with 36.82 meters. Laois finished first at shot put with a distance of 12.65 meters and finished second at discus, recording 38.80 meters, just two meters short of first place. Second-year Spartan Eleanor Gaddy threw 10.62 meters, finishing fifth in shot put. Third-year student Samantha Kelts claimed first in the triple jump with a mark of 10.81 meters.

Second-year student Grace Kemerer finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, with a time of 12:10.86. Other Spartan highlights include third place finishes for third-year student Abbey Waltz in pole vault, third-year runner Madeline Lindemann in 5,000-meter run and fourth-year thrower Shannon Carroll in the javelin throw.

For the men’s team, the squad of third-year Spartans Michael Hradesky, Jonathan Haling, Dominic Oddo and first-year teammate Juan Perez claimed first place in the 4×400 meter relay, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:24.03. Oddo also placed first in the long jump with a distance of 6.81 meters.

Third-year runner Grant McCarthy finished second with a time of 32:14.96 in the 10,000-meter run, and second-year teammate Dmytro Blundell’s time of 9:48.68 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase placed him second. Second-year Spartan Eric Rachita finished next in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:01.06. Third-year student Brian Holden finished third at javelin, scoring a mark of 41.76 meters.

Spartan athletes that were close to placing include third-year student Michael Klein with fourth in the 10,000-meter run and third-year runner David Hall with fifth in the 5,000-meter run. Hradesky finished fourth in the 800-meter race with a time of 1:57.14 and fifth in the 1,500-meter run.

The team will travel next to New Concord, Ohio to compete in the Amy Adams Memorial Invitational at Muskingum University from March 22-23.