Another meet weekend for the Hillsdale College women's track and field team, and yet another school record for senior Kajsa Johansson.
The senior from North Oaks, Minnesota had rewritten the Charger record book in each of the previous three weekends heading into the Hillsdale Tune-Up meet, and Johansson lived up to expectations on Saturday by breaking her own record in the 60 meter dash that she'd set just three weeks before.
Johansson won the race in 7.58, breaking her old Hillsdale record of 7.60 set on the same track during the Hillsdale Wide-Track Classic on Feb. 5. That time is also the eighth-fastest time in the 60 meter dash in Division II this season, putting Johansson in an All-American seed in three separate events with the Division II national meet three weeks away.
Johansson also has the third fastest time in Division II currently in the 200 meter dash (24.30) and is a part of the second-fastest 4x400 relay time in Division II as well (3:47.83).
The senior was far from the only Charger to make her mark in Saturday's meet. Hillsdale's distance medley relay team of Kaitlyn Rust, Judith Allison, Calli Townsend and Maryssa Depies, running together for the first time this season, won the race at Saturday's meet in 12:05.88, both a Division II provisional qualifying mark and the fastest time in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference this season in the event.
Hillsdale also got race wins on Saturday from Dakota Stamm, who ran a personal best time of 25.77 to win the 200 meter dash, and Gwynne Riley, who won the 800 meter run in 2:20.11. The Chargers also took five of the top seven places in the 60 meter hurdles, led by a runner-up finish from Allison in a personal-best time of 9.21, and a third place finish from Grace Gottwalt (9.23). Sophomore Allie Eriksen also took fourth overall and ran a personal best in the 400 meter dash (1:02.10).
In the field events, Nikita Maines led the way with a runner-up finish in the shot put, throwing 13.84 meters, and Katie Sayles was close behind in third with a personal-best throw of 12.93 meters.
Emily Gerdin took third in the long jump (5.17 meters) for the Chargers, Juliet Bernard took fourth in the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 15.78 meters, Alyssa Viola tied her personal best clearance in the pole vault of 3.06 meters to finish fourth, and Alexie Day took fourth in the high jump with a clearance of 1.52 meters.
Hillsdale now turns its focus to the two-day G-MAC Championship meet beginning on Friday in Cedarville, Ohio, and on defending their 2020 G-MAC championship. The Chargers won the title in thrilling, come-from behind fashion last year, but are hoping that an excellent freshman class and improved times from returners across the board mean that a 2021 title won't require the same level of drama and heroism to achieve.
Photo by Anthony Lupi