Seven runners compete for D-III title

Seven athletes from the men’s and women’s track teams represented Hopkins the weekend of March 12 at the NCAA D-III Championships in Grinnel, Iowa. The teams did not disappoint. Both men competing brought home All-American honors along with the four women competing in the distance medley relay.

Senior Devin Conley had a huge personal best in the heptathlon. The competition, which consists of seven different events, took place over the course of the weekend. Of the seven events, Conley had three new personal records. Finishing in eighth, seven spots ahead of his seed, Conley received All-American honors for the first time in his career. Conley’s performance marked a new Centennial Conference record of 4.812 points.

Also representing the men was junior Andrew Bartnett competing in the pole vault. Bartnett placed second in the event for the second consecutive year. Both instances Bartnett was bested by sophomore Luke Winder, a sophomore from North Central College. Bartnett cleared 5.25m for the second time in his career (the first time being the previous weekend), a Hopkins and Centennial Conference record.

The Lady Jays had an equally successful showing at NCAAs, receiving All-American in the distance medley relay. The event kicked off on Friday, where Hopkins faced an extremely competitive field. The relay was led by sophomore Caroline Smith running the 1200m leg.

“Our goal was to race exactly like we did at Tufts [University], staying confident and racing hard,” Smith said. “We hoped for All-American and we knew that would come if we raced as hard as we did the weekend before.

Smith then handed off to Senior Megan McDonald, racing the 400 meter leg. McDonald was able to close the gap between the small lead Williams College held. Junior Lindsay Cheu would be next to receive the baton. Cheu held on with the lead pack of five girls. Running the 800 meter leg, Cheu split 2:18 at the line. Last to run was junior Tess Meehan, running the mile leg to anchor the relay. With a tight pack in the lead of just under 10 teams, the race would come down to strategy.

In the last few laps, the St. Thomas University Tommies would eventually pull away from the rest of the field to win the event. Meehan held onto seventh place with a fierce kick to help push her over the line. Her finish earned Hopkins All-American honors. Less than two seconds separated second- and seventh-place finishers.

After receiving her fourth All-American honor the previous night, Meehan was back Saturday to race the 3K along with her teammate sophomore Caroline Smith. The race, composed of the best D-III distance athletes in the nation, immediately went out fast. Both Meehan and Smith went through the first mile of the race around 5:05.

Entering the race, Smith was looking forward to the competition and the experience of running her first open event at the NCAAs. Smith clocked a two-second personal best of 9:47.55 to place ninth, with Meehan just behind her in 10th. Both Jays just missed placing in the top eight and receiving All-American honors.

“My ninth place finish definitely makes me hungry to break into the top eight during outdoor,” Smith said.

Smith, who never previously raced in the 3K before the 2016 indoor season, will focus on the 1500 meter in the spring. She will also compete in her first 5K on the track.

Looking ahead to the spring track season, the team is hopeful in defending their conference title. The Jays will kick off the season in College Park, Md. Saturday, March 26 at the Maryland Invitational.