Women’s Track and Field Wins the CCIW Title
The Elmhurst University women’s indoor track and field team won their first CCIW conference championship at Carthage College on March 1.
“We had been dreaming about this weekend for months,” said Alyssa Busker, Student-Athlete for the Bluejays. “And it was such a surreal feeling to finally win.”
EU won decisively as they finished the meet with 160 points while North Central, who finished in second place, only had 106.5 points. EU took home first place in five out of the 17 events scored. While also finishing in second place in five out of the 17 events scored. They also had 18 student athletes given All-CCIW honors.
The Bluejays put on an impressive performance by breaking many personal, school and conference records. Setting four new school records and three CCIW championships records.
“There’s a lot of nerves and adrenaline at a conference meet so it wasn’t surprising to me that so many of the women were performing so well,” said Busker. “Winning a conference championship takes more than one person so we each set out to do the job we had been preparing for.”
Busker won the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.99 seconds, a new school record as well as a CCIW championship record and it was the fourth fastest time in the history of the NCAA Division Three. She also set a new CCIW record for the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.31 seconds.
Tiana Grady took first and set a new school record in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.26 seconds. Paulina Tinajero out jumped everyone as she finished in first place while breaking the school and CCIW Championships record in the long jump with a 5.89-meter jump. Kate Weber also set a new school record in pole vault with a 3.54-meter height clearance, securing second place.
“It was the best feeling ever,” said Busker. “Everyone had worked so hard during the season, and it was such an exciting moment that we had been preparing for since we started training in August.”
Some individual awards were given out to Bluejays as well. Chloe Selmer, a freshman, was awarded the CCIW First-Year Field Student-Athlete of the Meet as she took second place in the Long Jump. The EU coaching staff was given the coaching staff of the year award.
Busker took home the CCIW Women’s Track Student-Athlete of the Meet. Busker was also nationally recognized for her performance by being named the United States Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association National Division III Athlete of the Week.
“I feel honored,” said Busker. “There are so many amazing athletes in this division so being recognized is really exciting.”
Coming up for the Bluejays is the NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships. Four student athletes will be representing EU. Busker will be running the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. Lauren Marshall will be competing in the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, as well as the long jump. Tinajero and Selmer will also be competing in the long jump.
“I have the same mindset that I had going into the conference meet,” said Busker. “Make the finals on the first day and come home with some medals on the second day.”
The National Championships take place in Rochester, New York.
