Defiance Hosts The HCAC Conference Meet

DEFIANCE, OHIO-  The Defiance College Indoor Track & Field teams hosted the men's and women's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championship meet at the George M. Smart Center and the women finished eighth overall with a score of 31 points. 

Leading the Jacket runners was junior Eme Miller (Portland, Ind./Jay County) who clinched a second-place finish in the 5000-meter run with a time of 18:17.30. Miller also competed in the 3000-meter run and recorded her second runner-up effort with a time of 10:29.70.

The women's 4x200-meter relay finished ninth overall with a time of 1:57.08. Team members included sophomore Danielle Robbins (Westland, Mich./Wayne Memorial), sophomore Laura Lutzke (Williamston, Mich./Williamston), senior Waverly Weaks (Liberty Center), and sophomore Aaron Textor (Swanton). In addition, the same quartet teamed up in the 4x400-meter relay and recorded a time of 4:50.07 which was good enough for eighth place.

Other top running event finishes included a 13th-place finish by Lutzke in the 60-meter dash crossing the finish line in 8.65 seconds. Textor placed 14th overall in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:43.43. Robbins finished 15th in the 200-meter dash with a final time of 28.63 seconds. 

In the women's weight throw, Defiance had one finalist in the top-ten in sophomore Brooke Waidelich (Pettisville) who finished ninth overall with a throw of 42' 6.25". Alexis Walker finished 12th in the same event with a toss of 41' 1.75".  Also competing in the event was sophomore Cassidy Santen (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove North) who placed 14th with a throw of 39' 4.50" and enior Nicole Walls (Carleton, Mich./Airport) finished just behind Santen in 15th place with a throw of 39' 1.75". 

The Jackets had two women compete in the finals in the shot put. Walker recorded the top mark for DC with a fifth-place finish and a toss of 36' 3.50". Junior Katie Tillman (Miami Springs, Fla./Immaculata-La Salle) joined Walker in the finals and placed eighth with a toss of 34' 9.00". Following behind were teammates Santen with a 12th-place finish and a mark of 33' 4.00 and Waidelich who placed 15th with a toss of 32' 2.25".  

In the long jump, Weaks earned a fourth-place finish leaping a distance of 15' 9.00". She also advanced to the finals in the triple jump and placed fifth with a distance of 32' 6.25". 

The team will travel to Anderson (Ind.) University next Saturday (Feb. 27) to compete in the Fred Wilt Invitational hosted by Anderson (Ind.) University. The meet is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.