The storms held off as the Hillsdale College Chargers gave it one last go at the Hillsdale Last Chance Classic on a Thursday afternoon.
Freshman Nikita Maines nearly repeated her success from last week's G-MAC Championship. She took third at today's meet in shot put with a mark of 14.41 meters — just nine centimeters below her personal best. Fellow freshman Michaela Burkhauser finished right behind in fourth, with a personal best throw of 13.83 meters. That's 40 centimeter better than her previous personal record.
Burkhauser also threw discus, taking second place in 45.38 meters which was a new personal best for her by half a meter.
Senior Dana Newell also competed in the hammer throw. She threw for 54.43 meters to take second. This will not be her last time competing in a Hillsdale uniform, as she currently ranks 15th in NCAA Division II, qualifying her for the national meet later this month.
Also in the hammer throw, freshman Chris Huffman threw a personal best by more than a meter. He took 13th place with a throw of 49.92 meters. His previous best was 48.45 meters.
Freshman high jumpers Alexie Day and Peter Kalthoff both competed in their last meet of the season. Kalthoff nearly jumped his personal best to take first in 1.95 meters, and Day came in third with 1.60 meters.
Junior Kathryn Bassette pole vaulted to take 3rd with 3.45 meters. Freshman Ben Raffin won the men's pole vault competition in 4.86 meters.
In the horizontal jumps, junior Dani Jones competed in both long and triple jump. She took third in both of the events. In long jump, she earned a mark of 5.05 meters, and in triple jump, she went 10.45 meters.
Junior Ian Brown raced the 110 meter hurdles two more times. He earned yet another personal best time in the prelim of 14.59 to advance to the finals. In finals, he ran 14.70 to take second.
Junior Abbie Porter qualified for the national meet today in the 800 meter run. She ran a personal best time of exactly 2:10.00, taking the win. Sophomore Calli Townsend competed as well for the first time outdoors in an 800. She took third in 2:17.45.
In the 1500 meter run, senior Madeline Richards competed for her last time in a Hillsdale uniform. She finished in 5:24.86 to take fourth.
Juniors Joey Humes and sophomore Mark Miller raced the 1500 meter run. Humes finished first in 3:52.18, and Miller came in second in 4:01.92.
She's not unfamiliar with tough races on the track, but junior Arena Lewis sought a new challenge today as she ran the 3000 meter steeple chase. She finished in an NCAA Division II provisional time of 10:48.10 to win the race.
And in the women's 5000 meter run, senior Ally Eads, sophomore Maryssa Depies, and freshman Emma McCormick competed.
Depies won the heat in 17:22.86, and Eads came in second in her first and only outdoor 5k of the season. She finished in 17:51.90. McComick came in sixth in 22:01.80.
Sophomore Charles Holbrook ran in the men's 5000 meter run, which was his first time racing all season after battling injuries. He ran the entire race alone, finishing in 16:43.25.
PHOTO: Todd Lancaster
WORDS: Calli Townsend