Junior Shura Ermakov was named G-MAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after running the third-best G-MAC 400 meter hurdle time ever recorded. With a finishing time of 1:01.10, Ermakov set a personal record and set the best time in the G-MAC so far this season.

“I thought it was a very promising opener for me, because I was able to PR in the 100 hurdle and then PR in the 400 hurdles,” Ermakov said. “The track was super nice and I enjoyed getting to race on it and have good competition in the 400 hurdles.”

Ermakov ran the record time at the VertKlasse meeting in High Point, North Carolina. The meet took place March 31 and April 1. 

“We traveled south, tried to look into some weather because that’s the name of the game for Midwest outdoor track and field,” head coach R.P. White said. “Friday was a little bit rainy, and then Saturday ended up turning out really nice. We had some good performances, and that’s really what we’re looking for in the beginning of the outdoor season. It was mainly sprints and hurdles, field event people, and then the middle long distance kids will kick off next week.”

White said Ermakov’s event, the 400 meter hurdle, is an outdoor season event only.

“They start preparing for that in the fall with conditioning, and then outdoors, it’s an added event for us from indoor to outdoor,” White said. “She was eager to run and ran really well.”

Ermakov grabbed a provisional qualifying mark, but said it was much easier to run than it sounds.

“I didn’t think the provisional mark was honestly that fast this year,” Ermakov said. “It’s like 62.1, which is significantly slower than my PR. In terms of going to Nationals, it’s more like top 18. It’s still a cool measuring mark of how I’m doing.”

In the javelin, junior Eden Little took first place with a throw of 43.47 meters. The throw was just under a meter short of her personal record.

“I had the best series of my life, meaning all of my throws were above my average,” Little said. “It always feels good to win, especially at a big meet like that.”

Little said she was not set to win the title for the event, but ultimately pulled ahead and finished the event on top.

“I wasn’t in the title position on my last throw, but I wanted to win,” Little said. “So on my last throw, I secured the win. I don’t think I would change anything about my performance.”

Senior Nikita Maines also did well in the shot put, earning a provisional mark with a throw of 14.03 meters.

Another standout athlete, according to White and Little, was sophomore Katie Weldy, who threw 55.19 meters in the hammer throw. 

“One of my teammates that stood out to me was Katie Weldy,” Little said. “She threw every throw in the hammer above her PR, increasing her PR by 5 meters in the end. With that 55 meter throw, that puts her at 11th in the nation.”

Ermakov said another standout teammate was pole vaulter and sophomore Kaylee Jackson. Jackson cleared 3.77 meters, earning her first ever outdoor provisional mark.

Freshmen Lucy Minning and Francesca Frederici both ran personal bests, Minning in the 100 meter and 200 meter dash, and Frederici in the 400 meter dash. 

The team will compete this weekend at the All-Ohio Multi at Muskingum University April 6-7.