Chargers took second in their first meet of the year. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

The Hillsdale women’s cross-country team placed second in the season-opening Diemer Classic Sept. 1. The NCAA Division III Calvin University Knights hosted the meet in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

The Knights won the meet, but Hillsdale athletes filled five of the top ten spots, with junior Liz Wamsley finishing first in the 4k with a time of 14:23 minutes. Last year, Wamsley earned All-American honors in indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross-country. 

“My plan was to go out at a hard pace and hold steady for the whole race,” Wamsley said. “I wasn’t sure if there would be anyone to run with, so I had to rely on my watch and feel to pace myself.” 

Wamsley’s fellow teammates anticipated her victory. 

“She’s one of the best runners in the country, and this was a pretty small meet,” Sophomore Kayla Loescher said. 

Hillsdale’s new roster is relatively young, and the Diemer Classic marked the first collegiate cross-country meet for six freshmen. 

“It was exciting to see how well the newcomers raced at their first ever collegiate meet. That can definitely be daunting, but it seems like everyone handled it pretty well,” Wamsley said.

In the 4k, freshman Savannah Fraly finished  in 6th at 15:21 minutes. Junior Vera Thompson finished  in 7th with a time of 15:37 minutes. Freshman Megan Roberts finished 8th at 15:45 minutes, with  freshman Anna Stirton coming  in tenth at 15:48 minutes. 

In addition to five top 10 finishers, freshman Eleanor Clark came in 12th at 16:00 minutes, and junior Brynn Edison followed closely behind, finishing in 13th place with a time of 16:08 minutes.

“I thought that our meet went pretty well overall,” Loescher said. “The freshmen all looked super strong, and I’m excited to see how they do this season.”

The Chargers said they saw the Diemer Classic as a gauge to test where the team needs to improve as they prepare for bigger meets.

“This was meant to be an opener that would allow people to get back into it, practice the race mentally, and also test where our fitness is at,” Wamsley said.

The Chargers are  already preparing for the G-MAC Conference Meet on Oct. 21, where they took second place to Cedarville University last year.

“I’m excited to see how we can apply what we learned this past Friday,” Loesher said. 

The team’s next meet will be in Metro Detroit, Michigan, for the Wayne State University’s Warrior Challenge. Athletes will compete against other Midwest regional rivals, giving the Chargers an opportunity to survey their G-MAC competition.

Overall, Loescher said the Diemer Classic was a great start to the season. 

“It was a lot of fun and nice to have a more low-key meet to get in the groove of things before we head to some bigger meets,” she said.