(Photo courtesy of D3photography)
Geneva, Oh. – The Calvin women's track and field team used a trio of All-America performances including a pair of school records to finish 18th in the final team standings at the NCAA III Championships on Saturday at the Spire Institute.
Calvin used All-America finishes in the 1500 meters, 800 meters and 5,000 meters to finish 18th in the final standings with a score of 16 points.
Senior Sadie Heeringa (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) accounted for two of the three All-America performances, taking fifth in the 1500 meters with a personal best time of 4:30.53 and then coming back less than two hours later to place sixth in the 5,000 meters with a school-record time of 16:39.23.
With her pair of All-America performances, Heeringa completed an incredible three-sport season during the 2021-22 academic year that included a 17th place All-America finish at the 2021 cross country nationals and a fifth place finish in both the mile run and distance medley relay (both All-America berths) at the 2022 NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Heeringa is just the third individual in Calvin women's distance running history to achieve All-America accolades in three separate seasons in one academic year with Lauren Bergstrom doing so during the 2008-09 academic year and Katie Diekema doing so during the 2018-19 academic year.
Heeringa entered the national meet seeded ninth in the 1500 meters and 5,000 meters but used strong execution and senior savvy to move into position to advance in both races this weekend. In the 1500 meters, she claimed the fourth spot in her prelim race on Thursday and then ran with poise in Saturday's final. Through the first two laps, she sat near the back third of the pack but moved into scoring position during the back half of the race and blew through with a burst over the final lap to finish fifth, lowering her personal-best time by a full tenth of a second.
Fighting off fatigue in the 5,000 meters, Heeringa sat in 10th place midway through the race but maintained contact with a top-eight (All-America finish). With three laps to go, she moved into eighth place and with 400 meters to go, made furious sprint to move up to sixth place. Her final time of 16:39.23 broke the previous school record of 16:40.25 set by All-American Jodi Hoekstra in 2012.
"Sadie took our team home in style this afternoon," said Calvin head track and field coach Bret Otte. "She left everything out on the track, fighting off fatigue and negative thoughts to hammer it home. To record her best time ever in her third race of the weekend was impressive to watch."
Sandwiched in between Heeringa's All-America races on Saturday was a school-record and All-America finish by sophomore Delaney Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) in the 800 meters. After setting a school record in the 800 meter prelims on Friday in a time of 2:09.17, Sall took her race a step forward by placing fourth in Saturday's championship final with a school-record time of 2:08.23. Sall moved into the top five group in the opening lap and moved into fourth place in the final 300 meters for the All-America finish. It marks the fourth All-America berth of Sall's track and field career as she placed seventh a year ago in the 800 meters at the 2021 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships and eighth in the 800 meters and fifth in the in the distance medley relay at the 2022 NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships.
"Delaney split a 63-second lap to open her 800 and managed to stay clear of traffic," said Otte. "She ran a smart and fast race to win the fourth spot and another All-America berth. She had an incredible weekend."
Also coming up with a big performance on Saturday was sophomore Jenna Allman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline HS). Although she did not place in the top eight, she produced a career-best time of 10:52.03 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase which was good for 11th place. Running in her first national meet in the steeplechase, Allman lowered her personal best by more than two seconds.
"Jenna put forth a fantastic effort," said Otte. "Evie Miller – the race winner – took the potential of any kick out of the race by putting up a blistering pace from the start. Speed happens to be a strong part of Jenna's race and today's race just did not fall that way this time. We are proud of Jenna and happy to say that she is a Calvin Knight."
Earning All-America honors earlier in the week was senior Kamryn Elgersma (Redlands, Ca./Arrowhead Christian Academy) with a fifth place finish in the javelin.
Loras took first place in the final team standings with 55 points. The Knights were the top-finishing team from the MIAA with their 18th place finish.
