The Hillsdale College Gina Relays annually represent a time for the Charger women's track team to shine. This weekend's event was no exception.
The three-day event at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium yielded some terrific performances by the team as it gets ready for next week's conference championships.
Two Chargers came away from this year's Ginas as champions. Senior Ashlee Moran won the open 200 meter race with a time of 25.06 seconds Friday afternoon. Later on Friday, junior Allysen Eads easily outraced the competition in the 3000 meter steeplehcase championship event, winning with an NCAA provo time of 10:34.31. Eads beat the second-place runner in one of the event's premier races by 10 seconds.
Saturday, Moran took second in the 400 meter championship race in 57.62 seconds. She wrapped up a busy but successful weekend by running the second leg in the third-place 4x100 relay team, finishing with a time of 46.94 seconds. Her teammates on the relay were Kasja Johnson, Fiona Shea and Zalonya Eby.
Senior Alexandra Whitford also hit an NCAA provo mark by clearing 3.74 meters in the pole vault on Friday. Saturday, swirling winds forced the open pole vault event indoors, where Kathryn Bassett performed well, taking second by clearing 3.57 meters.
Senior Rachael Tolsma had a good meet with a pair of top-five finishes. Friday, she was fifth in the shot put with a best-mark of 13.61 meters. Saturday, she was the runner-up in the hammer throw with a toss of 51.37 meters.
Freshman Carmen Botha competed in two hurdle championship races on Saturday, taking seventh in the 100 hurdles (14.81 seconds) and fourth in the 400 hurdles (1:04.22). Abbie Porter turned in a sixth-place performance in the 800 meter championship with a time of 2:13.