Competing against some of the Midwest's best competition, including Division II powerhouse and host Grand Valley State at Friday's Bill Clinger Classic in Allendale, Michigan, the Hillsdale College women's track and field team rose to the occasion.
The Chargers put on a great showing at the indoor meet, winning eight events, earning four NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks, and setting a new school record.
There were several standouts for the Chargers on the day, but none bigger than junior Nikita Maines. The thrower from Centralia, Illinois won both her events against excellent competition, achieving provisional qualifying marks for nationals both the weight throw (17.36 meters) and shot put (14.54 meters).
Maines' shot put mark broke her own school record of 14.53 meters, previously set in Allendale at the GVSU Holiday Open on Dec. 6, 2019. The previous record was good enough to earn Maines a berth in last year's NCAA Division II indoor national meet, an encouraging sign given that she has a month left in the indoor season to build on Friday's performance.
Two other Chargers earned provisional qualifying marks on Friday. Senior sprinter Kajsa Johansson, who also qualified for the 2020 indoor national meet last season, led a 1-2-3 finish in the 200m dash for Hillsdale in a time of 24.75, good enough for her first provisional mark of the year. Junior Zalonya Eby took second for the Chargers in 26.15, and sophomore Allison Nimtz finished third in 26.60.
Last, but not least, Charger senior Maryssa Depies turned in the fastest time of her career in her first 3,000m run of the 2020-21 season, finishing in 9:46.28 to beat her previous personal best by nearly four seconds and earn a provisional qualifying mark in the event. Sophia Maeda took third for the Chargers in the 3,000m run in 10:06.83, and Christina Sawyer finished fourth in 10:10.64 as Hillsdale took seven of the top eight spots in the race.
The Chargers also had an impressive showing in the 400m dash, taking the top six spots, led by freshman Shura Ermakov, who the first open 400 of her collegiate career in a time of 57.54. Sophomore Dakota Stamm took second in 57.79 for the Chargers and junior Alanna O'Leary took third in a new personal best of 58.57. Unsurprisingly, given their dominance of the open event, Ermakov, Stamm, and O'Leary also won the 4x400 meter relay, teaming with fourth-place finisher Josee Behling, to take first in 4:01.88.
Led by a new personal best from senior Calli Townsend, the Chargers also took the top two spots in the 800m run, with Townsend winning the race in 2:15.78. Sophomore Kaitlyn Rust also set a new personal best and took second in 2:17.02.
Two freshmen went 1-2 in the 60m hurdles as well for the Chargers. Grace Gottwalt won the race in a new personal best of 9.34, with teammate Louisa Klaserner close behind in 9.40.
In the field events, sophomore Emily Gerdin took third in the long jump (5.17m) and fourth in the triple jump (10.97m).
Hillsdale returns home to the Biermann Center for the annual Wide Track Classic on Friday, Feb. 5 for the Chargers' next event.