The Northern Michigan University track and field team hosted its one and only home meet of the season and placed in the top three in 11 events.
The Wildcats competed in the Northern Challenge at the Superior Dome on Saturday, Feb. 16 while getting prepared for the GLIAC Championships taking place next week.
The ’Cats were led by example from senior captain Delaney Lovett, who took first place in the triple jump, leaped for 10.82 meters. Lovett’s distance was able to just edge out Lake Superior State triple jumper Katie Winniarski.
Lovett said she had a special reason to be excited about her performance this weekend because she got her first win in the triple jump.
“I was really excited to get the win,” Lovett said. “That was my first collegiate win in the triple jump, and it was really cool to do it at my last home meet ever. So it was a really good time for it to happen and although it wasn’t my best jump ever, I was still happy with the outcome.”
The 800-meter run also was a success for the ’Cats as all four athletes competing for Northern placed in the top four spots. Sophomores Katie Granquist and Caitlin Kesky came in first and second place. Granquist took first with a time of 2:21.33, while Keskey placed second after running 2:29.27.
Freshmen Jaylee Brown and Abby Roche followed up in third and fourth place. Brown took third with a time of 2:29.78 and Roche came in fourth for the Wildcats with a time of 2:31.16. Senior Colby West had a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash. West was able to race the 400 meters in just under minute by running the race in 59.55 seconds.
Junior Sydney Schultz followed up just behind West in third place with a time of 1:01.65 Schultz and sophomore Brittni Wirtz competed in the 55-meter dash. Wirtz took first place after running the dash with a time of 7.37 seconds. Schultz finished in second with a time of 8.01 seconds.
The 3,000-meter run concluded with the top four spots being taken by the Wildcats. Senior Mallory Celaya finished with the top spot after she ran the event in 10:35.15.
Junior Chelsea Farquhar, senior Rita Woitas and sophomore Emily Allen finished the run in the second, third and fourth-place positions, respectively. Farquhar ran for 10:42.93, while Woitas came ran for 10:59.39.
Allen rounded out the ’Cats in the event with a time of 11:04.89. Celaya, along with four other Northern athletes, were honored during the senior recognition event that took place early in the meet.
NMU head coach Chereé Hicks said while she never had the opportunity to spend a great amount of time with the departing seniors, she wanted to show them how thankful she was for the time and effort put in by her senior athletes.
“I think the recognition is really meant as a way to thank them for their time,” Hicks said. “It was a way to say thanks to all the seniors who were recognized as captains by their peers and all the seniors who were simply great leaders on this team. It is sad to know we are losing a great deal of leadership.”
The next competition is the GLIAC Indoor Championship that will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24 in Allendale, Mich. The Wildcats will be competing in events that will determine conference champions. Hicks said her team is ready to step up to compete in the game.
“These young ladies have been competing hard all season.” Hicks said. “We have been making small deposits in the bank. Now it is time to make a big withdrawal and cash in.”
