Several Hillsdale College women's track and field athletes made their best attempt to earn a spot at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships in late May at Last Chance Meets on Friday and Saturday, with a couple likely punching their ticket to Emporia, Kansas with strong performances.
Senior Liz Wamsley was already a lock to return to the Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m run based on a time set earlier this season, but she may have earned a spot in a second event with a great run at the Harrison Dillard Twilight Meet on Friday. Wamsley broke the meet and facility record at Baldwin Wallace in the 5,000m run with an impressive time of 16:20.46, a new best for her in the event and the 13th fastest time in NCAA Division II this season as selection day approaches. The strong finish means Wamsley will have options to compete in the 5K, 10K or both at Emporia State.
The next day, Saturday, at Grand Valley State University's Last Chance event, sophomore Tara Townsend also solidified her spot in the Outdoor Championships field in the pole vault. Townsend entered the meet firmly on the bubble to get in, but a personal best clearance of 3.98 meters to finish fourth at GVSU moved her up to 15th in the nation at the NCAA DII level and will likely be good enough to get her to her first national meet.
Back at Baldwin Wallace, junior Reese Dragovich also improved her chances with a runner-up finish and personal best time in the 800m dash of 2:09.57. That finish moves her up to 26th in the nation at the NCAA DII level, and keeps hope alive of potentially making the Outdoor Championships field if enough athletes ahead of her declare for other events.
Also at Baldwin Wallace, Hillsdale's Shura Ermakov took first in the 100 hurdles in 13.94 and teammate Louisa Klaserner finished second in 13.99, while Ermakov also teamed with Francesca Federici, Dragovich and Josee Behling to take runner-up in the 4x400m relay in 3:45.00.
In the field, senior Emily Gerdin took runner-up in the triple jump with a mark of 11.67 meters, and junior Reagan Dahlquist placed seventh in the high jump with a clearance of 1.66 meters.
Hillsdale's athletes with provisional marks now await the announcement of the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships field on the evening of Tuesday, May 14. The 2024 Outdoor Championships will take place over three days, May 23-25, at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.