Results

Monmouth, IL – The Prairie Fire track and field teams combined for six top five finishes in the Fighting Scots Invite, the last meet before the conference championship.

Seniors Emma Swanson (West Des Moines, IA, Valley) and Rayann Parkinson (Aledo, IL, Aledo) led the way for the Knox women’s team. 

Individually, Swanson placed fourth in the 400 meter hurdles and Parkinson was fifth in the 400 meter dash.  Parkinson’s time of 1:02.12 ranks #10 on the all-time individual list for the event.  She and Swanson teamed up with sophomore Danielle Erikson (Mokena, Illinois, Lincoln-Way East) and senior Kristi Weller (Cullom, IL, Tri-Point) to take fifth place in the 4x100 meter relay.

First-year long distance runner Esmeralda Alvarez (Chicago, IL, La Lumiere) secured six points for the Fire with a third place finish in the 5000 meter run.

The men’s team also fared well in the 5K. 

Junior Sean Choate (Chicago, IL, Chicago Academy) finished fifth followed by junior Jacob Buddell (Lake Bluff, IL, Lake Forest) in sixth.

Junior Joe Puntoriero (Cheektowaga, New York, Cleveland Hill) continued his strong season with a fourth place finish in the 400 meters.

The Prairie Fire men scored 18 points to place seventh out of 12 teams, including Division I Western Illinois University. 

Central College (IA) finished first among the men’s teams with 171 points.  Host Monmouth College (126) was second, Loras College (75.5) third Washington University – St. Louis (54) fourth, and WIU (51) fifth.

The Knox women’s team scored 23 points and placed eighth.  Monmouth College finished first with 206 points.  Loras College was a distant second place with 98.  Central College (69), Washington University – St. Louis (55), and Illinois College (44) rounded out the top five.

Next up for the Prairie Fire is the Midwest Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship on March 11 and 12.  St. Norbert College is this year’s host for the event.

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