Two Hillsdale College women's track and field athletes put themselves very much in the conversation to make the NCAA DII Indoor Championships in a new event with a strong showing at the GVSU Big Meet.
Held annually with two separate events in Allendale over two days, the GVSU Big Meet is one of the most competitive indoor meets in the Midwest and a golden opportunity to put down an elite time or mark before conference championships in two weeks.
Two Chargers athletes did just that. Already all but locked in to make the NCAA DII Indoor Championships in the 5,000m run, sophomore
Allison Kuzma ran a new personal best in the 3,000m run to place third in the invite section at the Big Meet. Kuzma's time of 9:29.62 ranks ninth in the nation currently, putting her well on the right side of the bubble to qualify in that event, and is also the fourth-fastest 3K in Hillsdale women's track and field history, and the second-fastest in the history of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
In the shot put, freshman
Sofia Boonzaaijer, competing in her first collegiate meet in a Charger uniform, threw 14.61 meters to win the open section of the shot put. Boonzaaijer's mark is the fourth furthest throw in the women's indoor shot put in Hillsdale history, and currently ranks 15th in the nation. While Boonzaaijer likely will have to throw farther to secure her spot, her mark on Friday would send her to the national meet if the season ended today.
Hillsdale's women had several additional strong performances at Friday's meets.
Amelia Lutz, currently ranked third in the nation in the shot put, was Hillsdale's top performer in the invitational section of the event, taking fourth with a mark of 15.75 meters, and the Chargers put four in the invite section of the weight throw, with
Olivia Newsome taking third with a throw of 18.56 meters,
Tori Tyo placing fourth with a mark of 18.30 meters,
Regan Wight finishing seventh with a distance of 17.15 meters, and Boonzaaijer placing ninth with a throw of 16.75 meters.
Also in the field,
Baelyn Zitzmann took fifth for the Chargers in the high jump with a season-best clearance of 1.67 meters, hitting the provisional mark in that event and currently sitting tied for 33rd in the nation.
On the track,
Lucy Minning tied her season-best mark in the 200m dash with a time of 24.63 to place fifth, and also took 15th in the 60m dash with a time of 7.72 meters.
Anna Lamoreaux also ran a season best time in the open section of the 200m dash, placing 17th in 25.75.
Both of Hillsdale's entrants in Friday's 400m invite set new season bests, with
Francesca Federici placing 16th in 57.10 and freshman
Anna Roessner running a new collegiate best of 57.50 to place 21st.
Hillsdale also got season bests in the 800m run from
Caroline Roberts (12th, 2:18.68) and
Megan Roberts (14th, 2:19.11), and in the mile run from
Savannah Fraley (32nd, 5:14.92) and
Anna Roberts (41st, 5:21.11).
Eleanor Clark ran a new personal best for the Chargers in the 3,000m open, taking 14th in 10:07.09, and
Sarah Chappelle placed tenth in the 60m hurdle invite in 8.81.
On Saturday, Hillsdale had two athletes set season bests in the 400m dash, as
Evelyn Overlease took 11th in 58.33, and
Jessica Church placed 14th in 58.48.
Adella Schmoll also set a new personal best in the 60m hurdles for the Chargers in 9.29, while
Katie Kennedy set a new season best in the long jump with a distance of 5.21 meters and
Erika Mogelvang took seventh in the triple jump (10.54 meters) and ninth in the high jump (1.58 meters).
The Chargers are two weeks away from the all-important G-MAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Ashland beginning on Feb. 27. Hillsdale will look to make its final preparations leading up to that meet this coming weekend. The Chargers will send a small contingent to Ann Arbor on Friday to compete in the University of Michigan's Silverston Invite, and will host their annual Tune-Up Meet on Saturday.
