After a string of successful meets, the Hillsdale College Chargers seemed to take a step back at last weekend’s Wide Track Classic. As the events concluded in the Biermann Athletic Center, the Chargers found themselves in ninth place with 51.5 team points. Further up the standings, conference rival Tiffin University finished third with 84 points, and national powerhouse Grand Valley State University finished fourth with 81 points.
Just two weeks after breaking a 27-year-old school record, freshman thrower Nikita Maines proved her performance wasn’t a fluke. Her throw of 14.09 meters at the Wide Track Classic broke her previous record of 14.05 meters, and shows her continued improvement in the event. For Maines, however, this record is just the beginning.
“I believe I can keep breaking records and keep making them higher,” Maines said. “I’m pushing myself to be my best.”
On the track, with sophomore sprinters Zalonya Eby and Kajsa Johansson out due to injury, Hillsdale struggled to find success in the sprint events. Faced with a deep field of nationally competitive sprinters, the Chargers failed to place in the top ten.
One of the bright spots for Hillsdale was the performance of the relay teams. In the distance medley relay, senior Ally Eads ran the fastest time in the anchor mile leg to take first place. Joining Eads were sophomores Maryssa Depies, Calli Townsend, and Abbie Porter. These four finished the relay in 12 minutes and 9.56 seconds, a time fast enough to achieve a Division II provisional mark in the event, placing the team in position to qualify for the national meet.
The Chargers also put forward a strong showing in the 4×400 meter relay. Townsend and Porter teamed up with freshmen Melanie Boehm and Alanna O’Leary to take second in four minutes flat.
In the mile, Eads finished in third with a time of 5:03.63, just two seconds off the provisional mark.
As the Chargers look forward to the rest of the indoor season, just two meets remain before the G-MAC Indoor Championships. Hillsdale will travel to Allendale, Michigan, tomorrow for the GVSU Big Meet in hopes of getting back on track before returning home the following weekend for the Hillsdale Tune Up. Events begin at 10 a.m.