PENN LAIRD, Va. –  The athletes of EMU Track & Field did not have to go far for one final tune-up meet for the indoor season, heading to the other side of Harrisonburg for the Rockingham Collegiate Classic, hosted by Bridgewater College.
 
Lauren Kauffman, a senior from Goshen, Ind., provided the highlight of the day for the women's team, easily winning the 5000-meter run and earning a spot on EMU's top 10 all-time list in the event.

Highlights

• SPRINTS
  • 60m Dash: Nia Boyd had a career day in the short sprints, starting with a PR time of 8.56 in the 60m.
  • 200m Dash: Boyd also ran an indoor personal best in this event, sprinting one lap of the track in 29.41. CJ Jefferson ran a solid time in her first indoor 200m, clocking in at 30.04.
  • 400m Dash: Claire Hurst was the top Royal, crossing the line in 10th place with a time of 1:14.27.
  • 60m Hurdles: Faith Schultz advanced to the finals and finished eighth, breaking the tape in 9.86.
• DISTANCE
  • 800m Run: Elili Asefa earned a top-10 finish, placing 10th overall in a time of 2:28.14.
  • Mile Run: Erin Loker came home eighth in 5:30.38, just a few tenths of a second off her personal best. Sarah Wheeler, meanwhile, ran a 12-second PR time of 6:43.51.
  • 3000m Run: Loker concluded her distance double with another eighth-place showing and a time of 11:44.75.
  • 5000m Run: Kauffman's winning time of 19:27.49 places her ninth in EMU history for the indoor 5000m, finishing 1:31 ahead of the runner-up.
• RELAYS
  • 4x400m Relay: The relay team of Hurst, Asefa, Jefferson and Loker teamed up for a time of 5;06.94 and a fifth-place showing.
• JUMPS
  • High Jump: Schultz came in fourth place, clearing the bar at 1.47m (4'9.75").
  • Long Jump: Schultz placed fifth with a jump of 4.86m (15'11.25"), followed closely by Angel David in sixth with a best mark of 4.73m (15'6").  
  • Triple Jump: David did well by placing fourth in the triple jump, landing in the sand pit at 9.92m (32'6.5").
• THROWS
  • Shot Put: Addison Shanholtz led the Royals in the shot put, slotting into eighth place with a best throw of the day of 10.17m (33'4.25").
  • Weight Throw: Shanholtz saved her best performance of the day for the weight throw, setting a new PR mark of 13.74m to place seventh. Shanholtz reinforced her spot at second in EMU history for the indoor weight throw.

 

What's Next
Conference championships will be on the line when EMU Track & Field heads to the ODAC Indoor Track & Field Championships next Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28-March 1. Saturday's field events begin at 12 p.m., followed by running events at 3:30 p.m. in the Cregger Center on the campus of Roanoke College in Salem, Va.