Sophomore Sarah Chappelle at a home meet
Courtesy | Hillsdale Athletic Department
Senior Ben Haas won the men’s weight throw with a mark of 21.84 meters, and sophomore Dominic Scharer became the third athlete in Hillsdale College history to throw over 21 meters, at the Grand Valley State University Mike Lints Invite Feb. 7.
Scharer placed third with a throw of 21.09 meters and now ranks fifth in NCAA Division II weight throw. Junior Dimitry Ermakov threw 18.42 meters, placing ninth.
Women’s weight throw also saw strong performances, with junior Regan Wight throwing 18.41 meters and beating the record of 17.53 meters she set at the last meet. Junior Amelia Lutz won shot put with a mark of 15.80 meters and threw 15.93 meters in weight throw, beating her former record.
Senior Alfonso Garcia also broke his personal record in triple jump at GVSU and came in first with a mark of 14.13 meters, beating his previous record set in 2024 by nearly half a meter. Garcia said he’s been aiming to hit 14 meters for a while.
“This was the big goal for me all season, and I got it really early, so I guess next would be provisionals, which is normally top 40 in the nation,” Garcia said. “That’s 14.40, but I’d like to break 14.60 or 14.70 by the end of the season, and I think that’s super doable after this weekend.”
On track, freshman Anna Roessner beat her personal record in the 200-meter with a time of 24.31, the second fastest indoor track time in Hillsdale College history. Senior Lucy Minning placed fourth in the 200m with a time of 24.63.
Mining, Roessner, senior Francesca Federici, and freshman Jessica Church won the 4×400-meter relay in 3:51.09.
Federici said she is savoring her last season running track.
“I’m not going to get to run fast like this after this season, so I’m focusing a lot on enjoying it and having fun during races and soaking in my time as a student athlete,” Federici said. “The sprint squad had a really good performance this weekend –– so many PR’s. We’re all excited to go to conference and compete even harder.”
Senior Nathaniel Osborne won the 5,000-meter with a personal best of 15:03.50, followed by senior Emil Schlueter, who placed second with a time of 15:04.84. Sophomore Will Winsor and freshman Jefferson Regitz came in sixth and seventh with times of 15:14.63 and 15:20.34, respectively.
Freshman John Richardson beat his personal best in the mile, placing ninth with a time of 4:14.39. Freshman Henry Thuet came in 11th at 4:26.92.
Sophomore Baelyn Zitzmann won Hillsdale’s pentathlon Midweek Multi Invite Feb. 6 with a score of 3,483 points, followed by freshman Bristol Whitley, who came in second with 3,097 and broke her personal record.
Whitley said she performed so well because she has been talking to assistant track and field coach Justin Fawley about how she can improve.
“It was a lot of coach and I having really intentional conversations about what we were seeing,” Whitley said. “I got some really good practice this past week, and then getting to do it at home with my friends and having the good practice going into it –– I just felt more confident and more excited to do it.”
Some sprinters and jumpers competed in the Michigan Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan, where freshman Watson Magwenzi broke his personal record in the preliminary 60-meter dash with a time of 6.94. He placed seventh in the finals with a time of 6.99.
Magwenzi said he wants to cut more time from his race and hopes to break the school record.
“My short-term goal is just getting better than I was yesterday –– one percent better,” Magwenzi said. “For long-term goals, beating a school record, but that’s up to God. It’s his timing, and I trust that he does what’s best for me.”
The Chargers will return to GVSU for the Big Meet Feb. 13-14.
