The Hillsdale College women's track team got the indoor season off to a fast start with three pentathletes putting together impressive performances in a special meet focused on the multi-events hosted by the Chargers on Wednesday.

Freshman Baelyn Zitzmann and senior Neva Polo each posted NCAA DII provisional qualifying marks in their first meet of the season, with Zitzmann coming within 100 points of the school record in the pentathlon, while fellow freshman Aubrie Wilson also had a promising debut.

Zitzmann scored 3,392 points to finish runner-up to Tiffin's Emily Curtice, buoyed by event winning performances in the high jump (1.64 meters) and the 800m run (2:26.13) with huge margins of victory that allowed her to rack up massive points.

Polo, the defending G-MAC Champion in the pentathlon and the current Hillsdale record-holder in the event, used runner-up finishes in both the shot put (10.91 meters) and long jump (5.17 meters) as well as a third place finish in the 800m run (2:33.78) to finish third, close behind Zitzmann, with a strong score of 3,307.

Wilson placed sixth with a score of 2,896, a solid first meet for a freshman competing in her first pentathlon. Wilson recorded three fourth place finishes in the 800m run (2:34.08), shot put (9.56m) and high jump (1.49m) on the way to her finish.

With their performances, both Zitzmann and Polo have already put themselves in the running to represent Hillsdale at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships in March, thanks to their provisional qualifying marks. The top 16 marks at the NCAA DII level in the Pentathlon ahead of the Indoor Championships will get the opportunity to compete at the national championship meet, scheduled to take place in Indianapolis.

Hillsdale's full team will open up tomorrow, Friday, with a trip to the Findlay Opener in the team's lone full meet before the Christmas Break.

Photo by Elaine Kutas