Junior Amelia Lutz at the Al Campbell Invite: Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
Junior Amelia Lutz was named Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career after breaking the school and conference record in women’s shot put at the University of Akron Campbell Invitational Jan. 16. The Hillsdale track and field team also won five events and brought home two more weekly conference honors.
Lutz, who is currently ranked second in the nation in shot put won the event with a throw of 16.54 meters, beating her previous school record of 15.64 meters, which she set in December, and the G-MAC record of 16.08 meters.
Lutz recently returned from a redshirt season and said she was much calmer throwing this meet.
“When I went into December, I put a lot of pressure on myself, and it took the fun out of it,” Lutz said. “Going into this one, I prepped myself way better. The whole week I was preparing, and then I went in and I was like, ‘I’m just gonna have the most fun. I’ve had it in me, and I’m going to just relax and let it go.’”
Men’s weight throwing was also successful. Senior and defending NCAA Division II weight throw national champion Ben Haas won weight throw with a mark of 21.55 meters and shot put with a mark of 17.79 meters. Haas’ performance earned him the G-MAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award, placing him second in the nation for weight and ninth for shot put. Sophomore Dominic Scharer placed second in weight throw, hitting 20.03 meters and ranking seventh in the nation.
In the women’s high jump, sophomore Baelyn Zitzmann received runner-up honors with a clearance of 1.65 meters, and senior Erika Mogelvang tied for third with a personal best clearance of 1.60 meters.
Senior Alfonso Garcia placed fourth in the men’s triple jump, with a mark of 13.54 meters.
On track, the sprinters also performed well. Freshman Anna Roessner won the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.62, followed by senior Lucy Minning, who placed third with a time of 24.95. Roessner also took second in the 60-meter dash, with a time of 7.50. She was named the G-MAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, is ranked first in the nation for the 60m dash, and 20th in the 200m.
Roessner said she was hoping for better times, but is on track to meet her season goals.
“School records are pretty much my goal in every area,” Roessner said. “I broke the 60-meter dash in the first meet, so I want to break it in all my events.”
Freshman Watson Magwenzi finished ninth in the 60-meter, tying his personal best of 6.99. He also placed fourth in the 200-meter with a time of 22.13.
Freshmen Wyatt Widolff and Jack Polizzi finished ninth and 10th in the 400-meter dash, with respective times of 49.91 and 50.14, and Widolff setting a new personal best. Senior Gabriel Phillips placed eighth in the mile with a time of 4:21.17.
Senior Ross Kuhn placed first in the 800-meter with a time of 1:53.32, beating his former personal record.
“I wanted to be a little bit quicker, but it’s an indoor PR, so I can’t really complain too much,” Kuhn said. “I’m getting ready to run my actual race. I’m a miler, so we’re just getting ready to try to break four minutes in Indianapolis two Fridays from now.”
The Hillsdale track and field team will host the Wide Track Classic Jan. 23 in the Biermann Athletic Center, starting at 10 a.m.
