These four athletes on the women’s track and field team at Northern Michigan University set a school record in the distance medley relay at Grand Valley State’s Big Meet last Saturday in Allendale. From left are Madi Szymanski, Beverly Harper, Baux Truckey and Ashley Choponis. They clocked 11 minutes, 44.49 seconds over the four-kilometer race to finish fifth out of 23 quartets, but also the ninth-best time in NCAA Division II this season as several Division I teams were at the meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The women’s track and field team at Northern Michigan University must’ve been of two minds last weekend, which would’ve suited them well as members were competing in two states not even bordering each other.

Part of the team went to the Grand Valley State Big Meet held in downstate Allendale, while another part headed west to the Ted Nelson Classic at Minnesota State-Mankato.

Each set of athletes had some standout performances as team scores weren’t kept.

The Wildcats won’t have to divide their attention today, their fifth consecutive weekend with a meet, when they’ll be at the Parkside Classic at Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The following weekend will be the GLIAC Indoor Championships at Saginaw Valley State in University Center, then the NCAA Indoor Championships two weeks later on March 13-14 at Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Here is a roundup from each meet:

GVSU Big Meet

On Friday and Saturday in Allendale, NMU’s highlight had to be the school record-setting distance medley relay team of Ashley Choponis, Marquette Senior High School graduate Baux Truckey, Beverly Harper and Madi Szymanski.

Their new Wildcat record time of 11 minutes, 44.9 seconds came last Saturday in a race that totals four kilometers, or 4,000 meters. The NCAA at ncaa.com lists the distance relay has having legs of 1,200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and finishing with 1,600 meters, and is normally only run during the indoor season.

Despite the record, the team only placed fifth in the event as several NCAA Division I teams attended this event. That was apparent because the time is also the ninth fastest in Division II this winter, also coming in as a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Championships meet to end the indoor season.

In addition, Szymanski was fourth in the mile in 4:59.62, teammate Lamar Gordon sixth in in 4:59.84 and Choponis seventh in 5:01.32.

Harper placed 14th in the 800 run in 2:12.95, a personal best and another NCAA D-II provisional qualifying time, while Truckey was 16th in the 200 in 25.03 seconds.

And NMU’s Sophia Potter also set a personal record in the 3,000 in 10:08.76 for 18th.

Ted Nelson

On Saturday in Mankato, Minnesota, in a field of mostly Division II schools from Minnesota and Iowa, the Wildcats had four top-three podium places and a total of 10 finishes in the top five.

Northern’s Celia Wallace was runner-up in the 3,000 in 11:12.61, while a trio of teammates each had third-place finishes in other events. Wallace also placed ninth in the 5,000 in 18:46.15.

Ella DeBruyn was third in the mile in 5:07.00 as teammate Anya VanSweden was fifth in a personal-best 5:19.55.

In the 800, Ishpeming product Lola Korpi was third in a personal-record 2:19.37 as Northern’s Lana Mac was fifth in 2:22.45 and DeBruyn sixth in 2:29.01. Mac was also sixth in the 400 in 1:01.77.

And in the 60 hurdles, Crystal Walker got third in 8.91 seconds, her career second-best time.

Alayna Vandegriff posted NMU’s best field event result, taking fourth in the triple jump with a combined leap of 11.08 meters (36 feet, 4 1/4 inches).

Teiolla Harvey and Manistique grad Danielle Lund each had a pair of good finishes in throwing events.

Harvey was fifth in the weight throw with a toss of 15.80 meters (51-10) and ninth in the shot put with a heave of 11.45 meters (37-6 3/4), while Lund was sixth in the shot put at 12.54 meters (41-1 3/4) and ninth in the weight throw with 14.99 meters (49-2 1/8).

Natasha Nowakowski was sixth in the high jump after clearing 1.48 meters (4-10 1/4), while Kati Smith placed 10th in the pole vault after getting over the bar at 3.34 meters (10-11 1/2).

And in the 5,000, Dani Van Lente was seventh in 18:18.10 and Madelyn Agren 11th in a personal-best 18:52.51.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.