2022 NCAA DII Outdoor Championships Men's Qualifiers
2022 NCAA DII Outdoor Championships Women's Qualifiers
2022 NCAA DII Outdoor Championships Main Page
It's become an annual tradition, nearly automatic, that the Hillsdale College men's and women's track and field teams are represented on the national stage at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
For the 2022 edition, however, a successful spring means the Chargers will be headed to the host site in Allendale, Michigan next weekend with a small army of competitors.
Twelve Charger track and field athletes earned the right to compete for national titles and All-American status at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships, hosted by Grand Valley State University, a strong showing that stacks up well with past groups from the last decade.
While there are certainly veteran competitors among Hillsdale's ranks, there's also several first-time national qualifiers headed to Allendale, as four of the 12 will be traveling to their first national championship meet, and a fifth will be competing for the first time.
The G-MAC Champion Hillsdale women's track and field team is well-represented in next weekend's field, with five athletes competing in individual events, as well as a relay team.
Leading the way for the Chargers is that relay foursome, as Hillsdale returns to Allendale in the 4x400 meter relay looking to earn All-American honors for the second straight year after taking eighth in 2021. Three athletes return from that All-American team -- sophomores Shura Ermakov and Dakota Stamm, and junior Zalonya Eby -- while sophomore Josee Behling, an alternate last year who's stepped into a critical role for the Charger relay team in 2022, rounds out the squad. The Chargers will take to the track for preliminaries in the 4x400m relay at 8:10 p.m. on Friday looking to secure a spot in the Saturday final.
Three separate members of the Hillsdale women's distance crew earned individual qualifying berths as well, two for the first time. Sophomore Margaret Scheske returns to the national meet in the 3,000m steeplechase for the second straight year after qualifying in 2021, and is seeded 13th, with preliminary races in the event set for 7:10 p.m. on Thursday. Joining Scheske in the national meet are freshman Liz Wamsley, who qualified for the first time in the 10,000m run, is seeded 16th and will race in a final at 8:50 p.m. on Thursday, and sophomore Gwynne Riley, who is seeded 20th in her first national meet appearance in the 1,500m run and will race in prelims at 5:25 p.m. on Thursday.
Last, but certainly not least, are the Chargers' two representatives in the field events -- throwers Nikita Maines and Averi Parker, who are seeded fourth and 13th, respectively, in the women's shot put competition, which takes place at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday.
On the men's side, Hillsdale qualified three athletes in individual events to the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships, including two first-time qualifiers.
The veteran is junior pole vaulter Ben Raffin, a three-time All-American in his signature event who's making his fourth national meet appearance, after placing in two NCAA DII Indoor Championships and the 2021 Outdoor Championships as well. Raffin, the 18th seed this year, will look to add to his storied career in the pole vault finals, which take place on Thursday at 2 p.m.
Raffin is joined at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships by freshman Cass Dobrowolski, whose breakthrough clearance in the high jump two weeks ago at the G-MAC Championships earned him a spot at the national meet in his first season as a Charger. Dobrowolski, seeded 14th, will compete in the men's high jump final at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
Also making his first appearance at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships is sophomore hurdler Sean Fagan, who's seeded 18th in the 400m hurdles after a strong performance at the G-MAC Championships as well. Fagan competes in a preliminary race at 7:40 p.m. on Thursday looking to make the finals.
The NCAA DII Outdoor Championships will be streamed for free on ncaa.com during the days of competition. You can also follow along with live stats at this link. Stay tuned to hillsdalechargers.com for more updates, including how to purchase tickets to attend the event live, over the next week.
Photos by Reily Rogers, Lee University and Courtesy of Kentucky Wesleyan Athletics