The Hillsdale College women's track and field team go back to action this weekend, kicking off the outdoor season with split squads attending both the Adidas Winthrop Invite in South Carolina and the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Cedarville, Ohio.
Adidas Winthrop Invite
The Chargers took several of their top competitors to Rock Hill, South Carolina to get a chance to compete against NCAA Division I athletes in the Adidas Winthrop Invite on Friday and Saturday.
Strong performances in the field highlighted the Chargers' trip. Hillsdale's Peyton Panka and Eden Little kicked off their outdoor seasons with a one-two finish in the javelin, easily outdistancing the competition. Panka took the title with a throw of 40.45 meters, with Little close behind with a mark of 40.37 meters.
Hillsdale also got a provisional mark and event title in the shot put from junior Nikita Maines, who won the event with a throw of 14.65 meters. A three-time national meet qualifier in the indoor shot put, Maines looks well on her way to making her first trip outdoors, as well. Fresh off an All-American performance in the indoor season, freshman Averi Parker took fifth in the shot put with a throw of 13.48 meters, and fourth in her first collegiate discus competition with her throw of 41.55 meters. Sophomore Juliet Bernard also took fifth in the hammer throw for the Chargers (49.77 meters).
In the jumps, freshman Reagan Dahlquist took first in the high jump with a clearance of 1.61 meters, and freshman Katie Clifford took second in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.69 meters as well.
On the track, sophomore Dakota Stamm took fifth in the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.67, just under two-tenths of a second off of her personal best, while teammate Zalonya Eby finished 10th in a time of 25.90, and Josee Behling took 16th in a personal best time of 26.35.
Cedarville Yellow Jacket Invite
Hillsdale also sent a large contingent, including its distance runners, to Cedarville on Saturday for the Yellow Jacket Invite.
Looking for a return trip to the national meet in the 3,000 meter steeplechase this season, sophomore Margaret Scheske kicked off her pursuit with a title in the event on Saturday, in 11:12.50. Freshman Liz Wamsley also took second in the 5,000m run, in 18:07.28, and freshman Nicole Marshall finished fifth in the 800m run in 2:26.91.
Also on the track for the Chargers, Louisa Klaserner finished second in the 200m dash with a personal best time of 26.53, and Hillsdale had a strong day in the hurdles. Shura Ermakov captured the 400m hurdles title in 1:04.48, with teammate Judith Allison taking second in 1:06.63, and Isabella Gutierrez placing fifth in 1:10.91. Chargers Grace Gottwalt and Neva Polo took fifth (17.40) and sixth (17.48), respectively, as well in the 100m hurdles. Last, but not least, Ermakov, Gutierrez, Allison and Marshall teamed up to win the 4x400m relay in 4:18.98.
In the field, sophomore Katie Weldy took second with a new personal best in the hammer throw (49.08m) to lead the Chargers, sophomore Katie Sayles took fourth in the shot put (11.90m), and freshman Mackenzie Morrison took fifth in the discus (39.48m).
In the jumps, Alexie Day won the high jump with a clearance of 1.58 meters and Grace Chen took third in the long jump with a distance of 4.60 meters.
Hillsdale next competes in the Oliver Nikoloff Invite in Cincinnati, Ohio, beginning on Friday, April 1.