With the help of five first-place finishes for the Baker University women’s track and field team, the Wildcats’ streak of wins at the Baker Relays under head coach Zach Kindler continues.

Baker has won the home meet every year Kindler has been the coach at Baker. Both teams won the meet Friday at Liston Stadium, but unlike most track meets, only one team score is given at the Baker Relays. So, the men’s and women’s team scores are combined to form one final team score.

“Obviously we’re going to continue to see improvement, hopefully, but at the same point I thought that for the most part, with the weather conditions, we competed very well,” Kindler said.

The Wildcats took three of the top four spots in the women’s javelin throw, with senior Aubree Gustin winning the event, followed by freshman Stephanie Nelson finishing second and freshman Katelyn Wolken, who finished fourth.

Sophomore Corinna Papps won the women’s 3,000-meter Steeplechase and said winning an event at the first outdoor meet of the year helped her confidence.

“It was a great start, and it was definitely a confidence booster,” Papps said.

Freshman JaBryanna Wellington, 400-meter dash, Baker Orange staff member Mary Loveland, 5,000-meter run, and the Baker women’s 4×800-meter relay team all won their events at the Baker Relays.

Papps was pleased with how the women’s team began the outdoor season, and believes the team will be successful at the conference meet.

“I think at conference we’re going to place pretty high,” Papps said. “I think all the girls are doing their best, and they’re looking pretty good so far.”

While the men’s side didn’t record a win, the team did finish second in several events. Freshman Jeremy Gathright finished second in both the long jump and triple jump, while sophomore Jeremiah Korn placed second in the shot put. The Baker men’s 4×400-meter relay team also came in second behind Iowa Western Community College.

Kindler said these teams have the potential to win the HAAC on both sides, but they will have to work to get there.

 ”After seeing week one, I definitely feel that we have a lot of work ahead of us to get there, we’re definitely by no means there yet, but I think that we have the athletes, potentials and the mindset to get there,” Kindler said.

The next meet for the Wildcats is the Friends University Invitational Saturday in Wichita.

“The times and throws and everything … should start to improve,” senior Aaron Hannon, who placed third in the javelin, said, “because we’ve been doing a lot of hard training and it’ll end up working out once the weather starts getting to where we like it during track season.”