The Hillsdale College women's track and field team kicked 2022 off with a bang, edging two of its closest competitors for the G-MAC indoor crown to be contested at the end of February in a home tri-meet on Friday.
The Chargers scored 114 points to top defending G-MAC outdoor track champion Findlay and G-MAC newcomer and long-time GLIAC power Ashland in a meet where the three teams were separated by a spread of just 12 points.
On the way to victory, Hillsdale had two athletes earn the first NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks of their career on Friday. In just her second meet as a Charger, freshman Katie Clifford cleared a career-best 3.69 meters in the pole vault to earn consideration for national meet qualifying at the end of the season, and to take sixth overall in a strong field.
Another loaded field was the women's weight throw, and another Charger freshman broke new ground with a personal best in the event. Katie Sayles had a top throw of 17.11 meters, setting a provisional mark of her own in the event and taking fourth against strong competition.
That included her teammate, Nikita Maines. The junior has already made provisional marks in both the weight throw and the shot put, and had another strong day on Friday to earn runner-up finishes in both events, throwing 17.73 meters in the weight throw and 13.85 meters in the shot put for the Chargers.
In other field event action, sophomore Emily Gerdin took second in the triple jump (11.32 meters) and third in the long jump (5.08 meters) for the Chargers, while freshman Reagan Dahlquist cleared 1.63 meters in the high jump to finish third overall, just a centimeter below her best-ever jump at Hillsdale.
On the track, the Chargers won four events to help take the team victory. Freshman Liz Wamsley ran a nearly 20 second personal best to win the mile for the Chargers, finishing in 5:13.22, and junior Claire McNally won the 3,000 meter run in 10:47.14, with teammates Natalie Martinson (3rd, 10:59.14) and Kayla Loescher (4th, 11:19.13) close behind with personal best times of their own.
Hillsdale also dominated the 800 meter run, sweeping the top three spots and putting five in the top six. Sophomore Gwynne Riley led the way in 2:20.02 for the Chargers, and freshman Nicole Marshall was close behind in second at 2:20.40, with sophomore Dakota Stamm in third with 2:22.56.
Senior Zalonya Eby was Hillsdale's final event winner, taking home the 200m dash title in 25.77. She also ran a leg on the Chargers' runner-up 4x400 meter relay, teaming with Allie Eriksen, Alanna O'Leary, and Judith Allison to finish in 4:09.95.
Freshman Louisa Klaserner took second in the 60m hurdles (9.28) and third in the 400 meter hurdles (1:09.90) for the Chargers, freshman Grace Gottwalt took third in the 60 meter hurdles (9.31) and freshman Isabella Gutierrez took 2nd in the 400 meter hurdles (1:06.97).
Freshman Shura Ermakov led the Chargers with a third place finish in the 400 meter dash (59.95), finishing just ahead of teammates Reese Dragovich (4th, 1:00.36) and Josee Behling (5th, 1:01.84).
The Chargers will host another home meet next week, the Hillsdale Winter Classic, for their next action. The meet will begin on Friday with competition in the pentathlon and heptathlon, with the rest of the meet taking place on Saturday.
Photo by Gwen Buchhop