ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Thirteen members of the St. Olaf College men's and women's track and field teams began their outdoor seasons by competing at the WashU Distance Carnival on Thursday and Friday at Bushyhead Track.

Juniors Gael Manzur Strandlund and Lauren Walda posted times that ranked on their programs' respective all-time top-10 lists at the meet, which included competitors from all three NCAA divisions, as well as running clubs, junior colleges, and more.

Junior Ignatius Fitzgerald recorded the highest finish of the two-day meet for St. Olaf by placing 11th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:13.23), which ranks eighth in NCAA Division III. Junior Kevin Turlington and senior Sean Hartney both placed in the top 20 in the 1,500-meter run, as Turlington was 17th (3:51.80) and Hartney was 19th (3:52.48). Turlington and Hartney's times sit fourth and seventh, respectively, in the country.

Manzur Strandlund moved into sixth place on the Oles' all-time list in the 10,000-meter run with his 45th-place time of 30:42.40, while senior Andrew Skemp took 31st in the event (30:14.14). Those times both rank in the top 25 in NCAA Division III this season. Senior Olaf Coffey finished 33rd (3:59.24) in the 1,500-meter run, while junior Jack Deaver was 191st (15:56.75) in the 5,000-meter run.

Senior Alison Bode's 23rd-place finish (35:51.23) in the 10,000-meter run was the top finish of the meet for the St. Olaf women, two spots ahead of Walda's 25th-place performance (17:05.92) in the 5,000-meter run. Walda's time moved her up to fourth on St. Olaf's all-time list and ranks fifth in the country, while Bode's time is 12th nationally.

Four other Oles ran in the 5,000-meter run, led by senior Sofia Carlson's 76th-place finish (18:06.11).

The men's team will send competitors to the Amherst College Spring Fling (April 5) and Bryan Clay Invite (April 9-12), while the women's team will be back in action at the Bethel Invitational (April 12).