It was another banner day for the Hillsdale College women's track and field team at the Al Owens Classic in Allendale, Michigan on Friday, as the Chargers won three events, posted numerous top three finishes and recorded three new NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks in the event.
Junior Shura Ermakov continued a banner 2022-23 campaign with another strong day, winning the 200m dash in 24.29, a NCAA DII provisional mark and the 42nd fastest time at the DII level outdoors this season, and also taking third in the 100m dash with a new personal best time of 12.20.
Joining Ermakov in recording a new provisional mark was teammate and junior Margaret Scheske, who took second in the 1,5000m run in a new personal best time of 4:31.09, the 37th fastest time at the DII level in 2023. Hillsdale also had a big day in the throws, led by sophomore Averi Parker, whose runner-up throw of 14.55 meters in the shot put was a new provisional mark that moved her up to ninth in the nation in the event, one spot ahead of teammate Nikita Maines, who took third in the shot put on Friday with a throw of 14.45 meters.
Several Hillsdale athletes placed well in the field. Also in the throws, Eden Little took second in the javelin throw with a mark of 39.82 meters and eighth in the hammer throw with a mark of 45.41 meters, while sophomore Mackenzie Morrison placed eighth in the discus with a throw 39.42 meters.
In the jumps, teammates Reagan Dahlquist and Erika Mogelvang went 1-2 in the high jump for the Chargers, Dahlquist clearing 1.62 meters for the victory and Mogelvang earning runner-up honors with a clearance of 1.57 meters. Pole vaulter Tara Townsend took fifth in the event for Hillsdale with a clearance of 3.62 meters, ahead of teammate Morgan Iverson who cleared 3.42 meters as well.
Grace Chen took third in the triple jump (10.66 meters) and seventh in the long jump (4.98 meters) as well for the Chargers, while Allison Nimtz placed third in the long jump (5.20 meters) and also ran a personal best in the 100m hurdles on the track (15.81) to place eighth.
On the track, the Chargers posted an impressive 1-2-4 finish in the 800m run in one of its strongest showings of the meet. Gwynne Riley won the race in 2:13.12, with Reese Dragovich taking second in 2:14.18 and Nicole Marshall placing fourth in a personal best time of 2:15.64.
Louisa Klaserner also had a strong showing for the Chargers, placing second in the 100m hurdles (14.74) and sixth in the 200m dash (25.77), while Liz Wamsley earned a third place finish for the Chargers in the 5,000m run (17:42.08).
In the 3,000m steeplechase, Natalie Martinson also ran a personal best for Hillsdale, finishing in sixth place with a time of 11:21.43.
Hillsdale has one final event before the G-MAC Championships begin on May 3, sending a contingent to the Walsh Tune-up on Thursday, April 27 for one last chance to get marks in ahead of the critical G-MAC title race the following week.
Photo by David Beach