Warriors Tune Up for GPAC Championships with Solid Performances

DES MOINES, Iowa/LINCOLN, Neb. — Midland University competed at two meets over the weekend, sending athletes to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Prairie Wolf Outdoor Invite in Lincoln, Nebraska, hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University.

At the Drake Relays, Krista Hardy finished 17th in the high jump with a clearance of 1.61 meters.

"Krista competed well in a nationals-type environment," said head coach Daniel Gerber.

At the Prairie Wolf Outdoor Invite, Tanja Zubrod led the Warriors with two first-place finishes. She won the 100-meter dash in 12.27 seconds and followed with a victory in the 200-meter dash in 24.85.

Midland's 4x100-meter relay team of Caelianna Risler, Zubrod, Aurora Griffin, and Amber van Beugen placed second with a time of 47.67.

The Warriors had a strong showing in the 100-meter dash, with Zubrod leading the way. Maria Sander finished fifth in 12.56, followed by Risler in sixth (12.62) and Griffin in eighth (12.68).

Midland also posted solid results in the 200 meters. Sander placed third in 25.59, while Griffin (25.81) and van Beugen (26.15) finished sixth and eighth, respectively. Sander's time marked a personal best and ranks sixth all-time in program history.

In the 400 meters, Meike Lahuis placed fourth with a time of 1:02.27.

Carly Carstens turned in a pair of top-10 finishes, placing seventh in the 800 meters (2:29.20) and eighth in the 1,500 meters (5:10.11). Judy Chepkorir added a 10th-place finish in the 1,500 meters with a time of 5:16.71.

Maddie Bergstrom recorded a fourth-place finish in the 5,000 meters, crossing the line in 20:38.49.

Shyanne Pipkin placed 10th in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:19.41.

In the field events, Sara Diew finished fourth in the discus with a mark of 43.51 meters and added a seventh-place finish in the hammer throw at 50.97 meters.

"Several athletes improved their conference standing and are poised to perform well in the GPAC championships on our home track next week," Gerber said.

Midland will host the GPAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 1-2 in Fremont, Nebraska.