It's only by the slightest of margins in a tight team race, but the Hillsdale College women's track and field team will enter the final day of the 2024 G-MAC Outdoor Championships on Friday atop the leaderboard after an excellent second day of competition on Thursday.
Hillsdale holds a one-point edge over Findlay, 57-56, with Cedarville also lurking with 51 points after the Chargers surged to the front of the pack in the second day of the three day meet.
To take over first place, Hillsdale leaned on two school-record breaking performances. Eden Little capped a standout career at Hillsdale in the javelin by winning her fourth-straight G-MAC title, going undefeated at the G-MAC Championships during her time with the Chargers. She did so with a throw that broke her own G-MAC record, hitting a personal best of 47.63 meters, a mark that currently ranks fifth in NCAA DII in the javelin and helps solidify her as a contender for All-American honors later in May.
Joining Little in breaking records was Hillsdale heptathlete Neva Polo, who had a huge mark in the multis of 4,776 points to set a new personal best in the heptathlon and break a 20-year old Hillsdale school record in the event set by Tauna Blacquiere at 4,758 in 2004. That mark helped her finish runner-up, as Polo set personal bests in five of the seven events to put up a mark that ranks 29th in the nation.
Hillsdale got great support across all events on Thursday. The Chargers placed three in the pole vault, with sophomore Tara Townsend earning runner-up honors with a clearance of 3.96 meters in the pole vault that ranks 15th in NCAA Division II and could punch her ticket to her first-ever trip to nationals in May. Teammate Kaylee Jackson also set a personal best with a clearance of 3.86 meters to tie for fifth with the current 25th best mark in NCAA DII, and Katie Clifford tied for sixth with a clearance of 3.71 as well.
The Chargers also had multiple placers in the long jump, as senior Emily Gerdin took third overall with a mark of 5.62 meters and senior Shura Ermakov took sixth with a jump of 5.49 meters, and in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, with freshmen Anna Roberts placing sixth (11:48.22) and Eleanor Clark placing seventh (11:52.11).
Along with the finals on Thursday, Hillsdale also did a good job of setting itself up for success on Championship Friday by advancing a slew of athletes to Friday finals in preliminary heats.
Ermakov in particular had a big day, as along with placing the long jump the senior set the top time in both the 100m hurdles (13.99) and 400m hurdles (1:00.25), entering Friday's finals in both events as the top seed. Teammate Louisa Klaserner also made the finals in both the 100 hurdles (14.19) and the 400m hurdles (1:04.14) for the Chargers, and Nola Hipkins gave Hillsdale a third qualifier in the 400m hurdles with a prelim time of 1:05.36.
Hillsdale also is advancing three to the finals in the 800m run, as senior Reese Dragovich ran a 2:12.57 to enter the final as the third seed. Freshman Megan Roberts was close behind with a massive personal best of 2:12.88 to also make the final, and freshman Zoe Burke will race on Friday as well with a preliminary time of 2:17.11.
In the 1,500m run prelims, Hillsdale's Liz Wamsley advanced with a time of 4:39.53, and freshman Savannah Fraley will run in the final with a time of 4:42.36 as well. The Chargers also advanced two in the 400m dash, as Josee Behling (57.13) and Francesca Federici (57.32) each snagged the last two spots in the finals thanks to their preliminary success.
Hillsdale will look to build off a strong effort today and bring home both individual and team gold on Friday as the 2024 G-MAC Championships conclude at Hayden Park in Hillsdale. Field events start at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and running events will begin at 12:10 p.m.
Photo by Reva Ludwig