2018 Great Midwest Women's Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Team (PDF)


INDIANAPOLIS – After Hillsdale College finished the seasonal sweep as team champions, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference Team was announced with nationals on the horizon.
 
Placewinners at the conference meet were honored with first, second or third-team honors, based on their finish by event at the Great Midwest Championships hosted by Hillsdale.
 
Individual award winners with their body of work for the entire outdoor season considered were also determined in a vote by the coaches.
 
Great Midwest Track Athlete of the Year, Great Midwest Field Athlete of the Year, Great Midwest Freshman of the Year and Great Midwest Coach of the Year for 2018, were finalized.
 
A total of 14 different women’s student-athletes will also go on to represent their institution and the Great Midwest at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Charlotte, N.C.
 
Walsh senior Sarah Berger was designated the Great Midwest Women’s Track Athlete of the Year after qualifying for nationals in both the 5K and 1,500-meter run. Berger won the 1,500-meter run and the 3K steeplechase at the conference championship meet while also placing third in the 4x4 relay.
 
Berger’s effort at Hillsdale also earned her Female Track Athlete of the Meet honors. She was an indoor All-American in the mile and as part of the Cavaliers’ distance medley relay team.
 
Her time in the 1,500 (4:18.67 at the Raleigh Relays) is second best in conference history only to Cedarville’s Carsyn Koch. Berger blew away the conference 5K record at the Hillsdale Gina Relays with a time of 16:18.85, about 27 seconds faster than her previous season best at the Mt. Union Homon Invitational.
 
Excelling in both sets of events as we’ve come to know is Ursuline junior Janelle Perry, who was named the Great Midwest Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. She will be competing at nationals in both the long jump and 100-meter hurdles.
 
Perry is the defending national champion in the 100-meter hurdles. She won the 60-meter hurdles indoor national title and was runner-up in the long jump for All-American honors.
 
Earning Great Midwest Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year was Hillsdale’s Andrew Towne after his Chargers won both indoor and outdoor titles. Hillsdale’s women are sending four to the NCAA Championships, including Abbie Porter (800m), Allysen Eads (3K steeplechase), Hannah McIntyre (5K / 10K) and Alexandra Whitford (pole vault).
 
Completing the indoor and outdoor sweep of Great Midwest Freshman of the Year hardware was Hillsdale sprinter Zalonya ‘Zoe’ Eby. Eby was the conference outdoor champion in the 200-meter dash and was runner-up in the 4x4 relay. She also placed third in the 100-meter dash.
 
Also qualifying for nationals on the women’s side were Findlay’s Hannah Hahler (shot put), Semoy Hemmings (400m), Milani Glass (100-meter hurdles) and Alex DeVincentis (discus throw, shot put), Walsh’s Kaitlyn Barber (pole vault) and Andra Lehotay (1,500) and Malone’s Jade Smith and Hannah Thompson, both entering in the 10K.