2021 is arguably the hardest year to make it to the outdoor track and field national meet in NCAA Division II history.
Reductions to the field size on account of the Covid-19 pandemic reduced the number of spots available in every event, and a larger than usual crop of fifth-year seniors taking advantage of the extra year of eligiblity created by the cancellation of the 2020 season made earning one of those spots extra tough.
But the Hillsdale College men's and women's track and field teams persevered nonetheless, earning qualifying berths in four individual events and one relay. The seven Hillsdale athletes will travel to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan to compete for national titles and All-American honors in their events in the three day meet, beginning on May 27.
One Hillsdale athlete is qualified in two events -- junior Kajsa Johansson, who won the indoor 200 meter national championship in March and is seeded third in the outdoor 200m dash with a time of 23.60 and second in the 100m dash with a time of 11.47 entering next weekend's meet. With strong times just hundredths of a second off of the top seed in both events, and a national title already to her name, Johansson should be considered a real threat in both events.
She's joined by freshman Margaret Scheske, who earned a spot in the 3,000m steeplechase as the 13th seed with a time of 10.39.04. Despite having never competed in the steeplechase in her life before this season, Scheske broke onto the scene with a provisional qualifying time in her first ever attempt at the race at the annual Charger Outdoor Invitational in mid-April. She secured her spot with a seven-second personal best in the event in the final pre-national meet race on May 15, and will look to make a big leap once again and contend for All-American honors.
The Charger women also will be represented by its 4x400m relay team, featuring sophomore Zalonya Eby and Alanna O'Leary and freshmen Dakota Stamm and Shura Ermakov. Featuring three of the four legs from the 4x400m relay team that took runner-up honors in the indoor national meet in March, the Chargers enter the national meet seeded 10th with a time of 3:45.18, and will look to add another All-American honor to the storied Charger history in the event.
The Hillsdale College men's team are once again represented by junior Ben Raffin in the pole vault. Raffin also represented the Chargers at the 2021 indoor national meet, finishing seventh to earn the first All-American honors of his career. He'll look to repeat the feat outdoors, entering next weekend's events seeded 13th with a top clearance of 5.13 meters.
For a complete list of NCAA DII Outdoor National Meet qualifiers, as well as information on the event, click here.