Nine months ago, the Hillsdale College women's track and field team captured the G-MAC Indoor title at the University of Tiffin.
After the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor track season and a longer than usual layoff, the Chargers returned to the Heiminger Center today for the Tiffin University Challenge, their first meet since capturing that title. Despite not having raced, with the exception of a few cross country meets and a couple of intrasquad scrimmages, the Chargers put together a solid day and even a few personal best marks.
The meet was broken into two sections, with the field events in the morning and running events in the afternoon. Along with Hillsdale and Tiffin, Ashland University, Walsh University, and the University of Findlay also competed.
Sophomore Emily Gerdin started her season off strong with a new personal best in the long jump, finishing third overall with a mark of 5.51 meters. Gerdin also won the triple jump with a leap of 11.06 meters. Freshman multi-athlete Louisa Klaserner also competed in long jump, finishing eighth with a jump of 4.77 meters.
Rounding out the jumps, junior Alexie Day tied her PR of 1.63 meters in high jump to take fourth, and freshman Morgan Iverson took seventh in pole vault with a height of 3.35 meters.
In the throws, juniors Nikita Maines and Michaela Burkhauser led the way with a win and multiple PRs. Maines took first in the shot put with a throw of 14.40 meters, and fourth in the weight throw (16.63 meters). Burkhauser came in third in the shot put with a new PR of 13.85 meters, and also finished fifth in the weight throw (16.51 meters).
Sophomore Katie Weldy took eighth in the weight throw with a new PR as well, throwing for 15.60 meters, while junior Emma Shea also earned a PR in shot put with a mark of 11.50 meters.
On the track, Charger hurdlers made their mark as freshmen Shura Ermakov (9.23), Klaserner (9.33), Grace Gottwalt (9.59), and sophomore Judith Allison (9.63) finished fifth through eighth, respectively, in the 60 meter race.
A sea of Charger blue filled the women's mile race at the Chargers captured first through sixth places. Senior Maryssa Depies led the way in 5:09.7, followed by sophomore Gwynne Riley (5:15.26), junior Claire McNally (5:17.92), senior Megan Poole (5:20.52), senior Lauren Peterson (5:20.79), and senior Christina Sawyer (5:23.35).
In the 800-meter run, senior Calli Townsend captured first place in 2:21.61, followed by sophomore teammate Kaitlyn Rust who finished second in 2:23.23 and freshman Olivia Chapman in fifth in 2:40.43.
Last but not least, the Charger 4x400 meter relay team of Ermakov, junior Alanna O'Leary, freshman Josee Behling, and sophomore Dakota Stamm finished the day off with a win, finishing in 3:58.37.
Hillsdale's athletes will train over break and be back in action in January, starting the Sequential Border War at the Biermann Center on the Hillsdale College campus on Jan. 22, looking to build toward the G-MAC Championship meet hosted by Cedarville University at the end of February.
Written by Calli Townsend.
Photo: Emily Gerdin competes in the triple jump during Friday's meet. Photo courtesy of Tiffin Athletics.