Track and field: Ekpo takes third in triple jump, Berg leads women to ninth place

Taylor Berg makes her way to the finish line in the 5,000 meter run during the MIAC track and field championships May 11. Berg finished second in the 5,000 meter run in the NCAA championships Saturday. (Whitney Abrahamson/TommieMedia)
Taylor Berg makes her way to the finish line in the 5,000 meter run during the MIAC track and field championships May 11. Berg finished second in the 5,000 meter run in the NCAA championships Saturday. (Whitney Abrahamson/TommieMedia)

Eyo Ekpo’s career-high 50-5 1-4 jump earned him third place in Saturday’s triple jump at the NCAA D-III track and field championships in La Crosse, Wis.

Ekpo, a senior, jumped a career-high 50-5 1-4 and scored six team points for St. Thomas. It marked his seventh career All-America performance.

“I was able to put it all together,” Ekpo said. “At the end of the day, if you (score a personal record), you’re happy with your performance.”

The Tommie men placed 28th with nine total points on the tournament.

“I worked all year for a moment like this,” Ekpo said. “It’s great to see that hard work pay off.”

Berg’s second place finishes fuel Tommie women

Taylor Berg’s second place finishes in both the 1,500 (4:18.12) and 5,000 (16:33.15) Saturday earned 16 team points and helped lead the Tommie women to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA D-III track and field championships in La Crosse, Wis.

Angela Tipp, Erika Tipp, Kayla Goeman and Emily Van Heel took third-place in the 4×400 meter relay at a time of 3:44.92, which broke the school record they set previously in Thursday’s preliminary race.

Van Heel, Erika Tipp, Mallory Burnham and Christina Rozeske finished in seventh-place in the 4×100 meter relay at a time of 47.14, also breaking their own school record and finishing with 24 total team points.

Van Heel took 14th in the triple jump (37-5 3-4).

Kyle Jonas can be reached at jona7984@stthomas.edu.