2021 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Region Teams
Eight Hillsdale College track and field athletes earned outdoor All-Midwest Region honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Friday, including several Charger athletes who will be competing in next week's NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships at Grand Valley St. University in Allendale, Michigan.
Athletes at the Division II level are eligible for All-Region honors from the USTFCCCA if they rank among the top five individuals in each event from their region, in addition to each of the members of a top-three ranked relay team.
Six Charger women's track athletes earned All-Region honors, led by junior Kajsa Johansson, who posted elite times in the 100m dash and 200m dash not just in the Midwest Region but across the country in Division II in 2021. Johansson's time of 11.47 in the 100m dash is second in the nation entering next weekend's national meet, and her time of 23.60 in the 200m dash ranks third.
Joining Johansson on the All-Region team as individuals are freshmen Eden Little, Dakota Stamm and Shura Ermakov. Eden Little broke the Hillsdale College school record in the javelin with a throw of 43.61 meters, a provisional qualifying mark for the DII national meet, though not quite far enough to be selected for the meet in her first season of collegiate competition.
Ermakov posted a time of 1:01.84 in the 400m hurdles to finish as one of the top-five in the Midwest Region, and Stamm's 400m dash time of 55.96 was also a top five mark.
Ermakov and Stamm join sophomores Alanna O'Leary and Zalonya Eby in earning All-Region honors for the 4x400m relay as well. The quartet's time of 3:45.07 ranks 10th in the nation entering the DII Championships this week.
The Charger men had two All-Region honorees. Leading the way is sophomore Ben Raffin, whose clearance of 5.13 meters is one of the top 14 marks in the country in Division II in the event. Raffin will be competing in the Division II Championships this week, looking to add a second All-American honor to the one he earned in the event in the Indoor Championships in March.
Last but not least, senior Ryan Thomsen finished as one of the top decathletes in the Midwest Region, with a personal best score in the event of 6,486 points this season.
The Chargers will wrap up the season this weekend on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Division II Championships, competing for national titles and All-American honors.