Strong Season Opener Highlights Midland Effort at CMU Open

FAYETTE, Mo. — Midland University began its 2026 outdoor track and field season Saturday at the Central Methodist Open. Hosted by Central Methodist University, the meet was held at the Hairston Track and Field Complex. The Warriors turned in a strong outing to open the spring season, with multiple athletes recording top-10 performances.

Competing in the hammer throw, Sara Diew placed second with a throw of 46.07 meters.

Josie Reiff finished seventh in the long jump with a mark of 4.90 meters.

Krista Hardy cleared 1.62 meters to win the high jump, while Meike Lahuis (1.47 meters) and Shyanne Pipkin (1.47 meters) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Diew recorded her second top-five finish of the day in the shot put with a distance of 11.53 meters.

In the triple jump, Vanessa Rice (10.75 meters) and Hardy (10.49 meters) secured fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Continuing her strong day, Diew finished second in the discus with a throw of 42.73 meters.

In the 1,500-meter race, Maite Farin placed 10th with a time of 5:15.33.

Lahuis added a fifth-place finish in the 400 meters with a time of 1:03.75.

Midland had two top-10 finishers in the 100 meters. Tanja Zubrod placed sixth in 12.40 seconds, while Amber van Beugen finished ninth in 12.71.

Zubrod also placed fifth in the 200 meters with a time of 25.48, while Mara Sander finished 10th in 26.23. Zubrod's mark ranks as the fifth-fastest outdoor 200-meter time in school history.

Farin added a seventh-place finish in the 3,000 meters in 11:31.12, followed closely by Bridget Meier in eighth (12:27.98).

The relay team of Mara Sander, Zubrod, van Beugen, and Rianna Greene placed fourth in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 48.66 — the fifth-fastest mark in the event in program history.

"The athletes competed well and did a great job handling the heat," head coach Daniel Gerber said. "It isn't very often we have weather this hot at any point in our season, let alone to start it. It was a strong opener and gives us a lot to build on moving forward."

Midland will travel to Bolivar, Missouri, for the Southwest Baptist Invitational on March 26-27 before heading to Kearney, Nebraska, for the Central Nebraska Challenge on March 28.