The Hillsdale College women's track and field team began its chase after a G-MAC title at the first day of the G-MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday in Owensboro, Kentucky, with four placers in two events and a new provisional qualifying mark for one athlete as well.
Leading the way for the Chargers on a limited first day of competition that included just three contested event finals was freshman Liz Wamsley, who ran her second NCAA DII provisional qualifying time of the outdoor season, and her fourth in the 2021-22 school year, with a third-place finish in the 10,000 meter run in 35:06.16.
Even more impressively, it was Wamsley's first 10,000m race of her collegiate career, and the St. Louis, Missouri native showed her potential with the 17th-fastest outdoor 10K at the NCAA Division II level this season while finishing a close third behind two seniors in the event.
Wamsley wasn't the only strong finish for the Chargers in the 10K, as junior Claire McNally also took eighth place in 37:38.38 to earn a point for Hillsdale in the team standings as well.
The Chargers also had multiple placers in the women's hammer throw as well. Sophomore Juliet Bernard took sixth with a throw of 50.82 meters to place in the hammer throw for the second-straight season for Hillsdale at the conference championships, while Averi Parker took seventh with a personal-best throw of 50.15 meters to place as well.
Competiton in the women's heptathlon also took place on Wednesday, and while the event isn't over yet, Hillsdale freshman Neva Polo is well-positioned to place highly through the first four events of the seven-event competition, with the final three to be finished on Thursday morning. Strong, consistent finishes were the key for Polo on the first day, taking fifth in the 100 hurdles (16.49), fifth in the high jump (1.50 meters), fourth in the shot put (9.92 meters), and sixth in the 200m dash (27.66). By avoiding ups and downs, Polo currently sits in fourth in the overall standings with 2,458 points, just 24 points behind third-place Skyler Stewart of Walsh and with a chance to move up.
The G-MAC Championships are set to heat up on Thursday, with the conclusion of the heptathlon, the finals of the women's discus and long jump in the field, and the 3,000m steeplechase finals on the track, as well as prelims in a variety of running events. While the title won't be decided tomorrow, it's still a critical day to get runners through to the finals and lay the foundation for a strong push on championship Friday.
Photo courtesy of Kentucky Wesleyan Athletics