The Hillsdale College women's track and field team fell just short of its goal to win a third-straight G-MAC Indoor Championship title, but didn't go down without a fight.
The Chargers battled to the final events with eventual champion Findlay, putting up 118.5 points to the Oilers' 140, to take second place, with several stand-out performances.
The story of the final day was senior Zalonya Eby, who finally recaptured the G-MAC title in the 200 meter dash she first won in 2018 with a time of 25.15. Eby was a double champion and the G-MAC Indoor Freshman of the Meet in 2018, before injuries derailed her career for the next two seasons. She began her return with a strong 2021 season, and her health has continued to improve this winter, helping her get back to the summit in the G-MAC after a long, arduous journey.
Eby also placed in the 400m dash for the Chargers, finishing fifth with a time of 58.40, and was the lead-off leg on Hillsdale's runner-up 4x400 relay team that finished in 3:53.63 and also included Josee Behling, Shura Ermakov and Dakota Stamm.
Both Stamm and Ermakov also placed in the 400m dash for the Chargers, with Stamm, the 2021 indoor 400m dash champion, taking second in an NCAA Provisional Qualifying time of 57.01, and Ermakov placing eighth in 59.30.
The Chargers also had two runner-up finishes in the field. Junior Nikita Maines added to her weight throw title from Friday night with a runner-up finish in the shot put, with a throw of 14.87 meters, and freshman and teammate Averi Parker was close behind with a throw of 14.65 to finish fourth.
In the triple jump, junior Emily Gerdin also earned a runner-up finish with a personal best mark of 11.65 meters as well for the Chargers, while sophomore Alexie Day took seventh (1.63 meters) and freshman Reagan Dahlquist took eighth (1.58 meters) in the high jump.
Back on the track, the Chargers mid-distance and distance crews also had a strong day. Freshman Liz Wamsley placed third in the 3,000m run (9:54.63), with teammate Gwynne Riley taking seventh (9:59.70) and earning her second NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of the day. The first came in the mile, where Riley took third, running a personal best time of 4:58.44, while sophomore Margaret Scheske took seventh (5:03.11).
In the 800m run, Reese Dragovich also brought home a third-place finish for the Chargers, running a time of 2:17.08, and Kaitlyn Rust took sixth with a time of 2:18.63.
Freshman Louisa Klaserner rounded out the Charger placers in the championship with a fifth place finish in the 60m hurdles, running a personal best time of 8.95.
Hillsdale now turns its focus to the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships, hosted in Pittsburgh, Kansas on March 11-12. Hillsdale throwers Maines, Parker and Katie Sayles all look like locks to qualify to compete, while Liz Wamsley in the 5,000m run, Hillsdale 4x400 and Distance Medley Relay teams, and Stamm in the 400m dash will all wait to see if they will be selected.
Photo Courtesy of Findlay Athletics