Just a week after a banner indoor season concluded, senior Katie Weldy wasted no time putting a marker down outdoors for the Hillsdale College women's track and field team this weekend.
Competing in the hammer throw at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Friday, Weldy won the event over multiple NCAA Division I throwers with a NCAA DII Provisional Qualifying mark of 56.07 meters. The personal best mark is one of the top in the nation at this early juncture, ranking second among all NCAA DII throwers a week into the season, and would have put Weldy on the cusp of making the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships in 2023. For a thrower coming off her first national meet appearance in the weight throw at the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Championships, it's an encouraging start.
Several other Chargers throwers made their presence felt at the meet. Freshman Amelia Lutz placed in three events, taking third in the discus with a throw of 42.12 meters, third in the shot put with a throw of 13.07 meters, and seventh in the javelin with a throw of 34.58 meters in an impressive start.
Another national meet competitor for the Chargers indoors, Katie Sayles, also placed in multiple events for Hillsdale, taking fifth in the shot put with a mark of 12.46 meters and seventh in the hammer throw with a mark of 48.69 meters. Junior Mackenzie Morrison placed sixth in the discus with a throw of 40.65 meters as well for the Chargers.
The full Chargers squad opens up outdoors next weekend with a trip to the Lee University Invite, with Hillsdale looking to build off this strong start.
Photo by David Beach