Nine Chippewas qualify for MAC Championships in season opener
In its first meet of the year, the Central Michigan track and field team started strong, meeting multiple Mid-American Conference qualifying standards at Friday's Saginaw Valley Holiday Classic.
“All in all, for the first meet in December, I couldn’t have been happier with the effort of this group,” said Head Coach Mark Guthrie. “We had a lot of good things happen.”
Nine competitors for CMU qualified for the Feb. 26-27 Indoor Mid-American Conference Championships Friday, with five others coming just short of qualifying in their first attempt of the season. There were nine teams at the meet, although team scores were not compiled.
Senior distance runners Nate Ghena (14:28) and Kelly Schubert (16:59) won the men’s and women’s 5,000-meter race. With those times, Ghena and Schubert along with fellow distance runners sophomore Kirsten Olling (second overall, 17:03) and freshman Samantha Allmacher (third overall, 17:12) automatically qualify for the Indoor MAC Championships at the 5,000-meter distance.
The automatic qualifying standard for the 5,000-meter race for the men is 14:43 and 17:16 for the women. Senior distance runner Silas DeKalita was one second shy of hitting the standard, finishing in second overall with a time of 14:44.
Throwers junior Dylan Banagis (19.55 meters) and senior Cole Walderzak (19.17 meters) both met the MAC qualifying standard of 18.26 meters in the men’s weight throw. Walderzak also finished third in the men’s shot put with a throw of 16.53 meters.
Senior thrower Devene Brown threw for 15.22 meters in the women’s shot put, passing the MAC qualifying standard of 14.54 meters.
Sophomore thrower Kevin Weiler won the men’s shot put with a throw of 17.92 meters, surpassing the MAC qualifying standard of 16.86 meters.
Sophomore hurdler Shane Moffo won the men’s 60-meter Hurdles with a time of 8.20 seconds, just .01 seconds off the MAC qualifying standard of 8.19.
Middle distance runners sophomore Brianna Hadley (2:22) and senior Anderson Lee (1:53) both finished in second place in their respective 800-meter races. Lee was one second off of the MAC qualifying standard of 1:52 for the race.
Senior Shaya Wilkerson (11.24 meters) and freshman Jake Peister (14.30 meters) both finished second in their respective triple-jump events. Both were just shy of the qualifying marks of 11.68 meters for the women and 14.33 meters for the men.
Senior sprinter Dejanae Terry won the women’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.68 seconds.
Sophomore Rebekah Petty won the women’s pole vault with a height of 3.64 meters.
Sophomore sprinter Jamar Hardy (6.92 seconds) and junior sprinter Malik Peacock (6.94) finished first and second respectively in the men’s 60-meter dash.
Freshman sprinter Gabriella Beauvais won the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 25.18 seconds. Sophomore sprinter Lorenzo Wells finished third in the men’s race with a time of 22.02. Beauvais also finished second in the women’s long jump, jumping 5.37 meters.
The women’s 4x400 relay team of sophomore Kayla Walton, freshmen Samantha Cuneo and Simonae Dismuke and senior Lexi Meilke finished in second place with a time of 3:54.
Junior thrower Kylee Dobbelaere threw for 16.8 meters which was good for third place in the women’s weight throw.
“It was good because (the runners) got to see other jerseys, instead of just going to practice every day,” Guthrie said.
The next meet for the Chippewas will not be until Jan. 23 at Eastern Michigan.
