Women’s track and field ranked fourth in nation

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Women’s track and field ranked fourth in nation

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The fourth-ranked Hillsdale College women’s indoor track and field team has sprinted to a fast start this season. The Chargers traveled to Indiana University last weekend to compete with several prominent D-I and D-II schools in the Gladstein Invitational. After their third meet this semester, the Chargers have already broken records and qualified for the national meet.
Sophomore Chloe Ohlgren broke her own triple jump school record which she set at Findlay last week, jumping 11.64 meters to hit the provisional qualifying mark for the national meet. For the rest of the season she will focus on reaching a better qualifying mark, as she is just on the brink in the current ranking.
“Getting into nationals is a huge goal,” she said.
Ohlgren walked on to the track team last year in time to compete in the outdoor season. Having a full fall season to train with the team has proved rewarding early this season.
Junior pole vaulter Alex Whitford also hit a provisional mark clearing 11 feet, 8 inches. She ranks ninth in the nation, coming off knee surgery last season.
Senior Emily Oren, a seasoned national champion, ran the mile in 4:51, placing sixth while also reaching the provisional standard for the national meet.
Kristina Galat competed in the “select” 3000 meters, impressive for such a big meet, and automatically qualified for nationals with a time of 9:30. She is ranked second nationally in the event.
Junior Molly Oren and sophomore Hannah McIntyre also ran the open 3000.  Both Chargers beat their personal records and hit provisional times for the national meet. Oren ran 9:57 and McIntyre won the event with a time of 9:46.
Sophomore Hannah Watts placed third in the 800 meters running a time of 2:15. Watts met the provisional standard for the national meet last week at the Findlay meet.
In the throws, both sophomore Rachael Tolsma and junior captain Dana Newell hit provisional marks in the weight throw. Newell placed sixth, putting her at 12th in nation for the event.
“I’m really excited,” Newell said. “It’s really challenging, but that’s what we need — someone to challenge us every week.”
This meet was loaded with intense competition, including several Division I schools.  Being an invitational meet, there are high standards to be met in order to even compete in it. Therefore, high value is placed on the competitiveness of the athletes.
“I thought we competed really well,” head coach Andrew Towne said. “Sometimes with younger kids it can be unnerving for them, but I thought we did a really good job competing.”
Towne said that from this point in the season it is time to start making decisions about deliberate placement of athletes to put the team in the best position possible going into championship season.
“We focus on the individual within the concept of the team,” Towne said.
The Chargers are taking a break this weekend but will compete again on Feb. 6 in the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center.