One last lap around Frank M. Lindsay Field’s track.
The Millikin Track team hosted an invite on Friday, April 25, which was also their senior night.
Seniors Colin Griffin, Ashlyn Duncan, Brandon Mattsey, Christian Skaggs, Edwin Monroe, Corey Cebulski, Madi Jessen, Emma Mallory, McKenzie Boren, Hayley Yelle, and Zena Roberts were all celebrated.
The meet began with the field events, the women’s hammer throw being first at 2 p.m..
There was a slight weather delay, with all athletes and spectators moved inside for 30 minutes at 4:15 p.m. due to lightning strikes near the field. The field events went until 6 p.m., and included javelin, shot put, discus, long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault.
Some notable performances for the women’s events were senior Haylee Yelle winning the pole vault with a jump of 3.39 meters, which is also second all-time in the Millikin record books.
Junior Katie Janvrin won the triple jump at 11.19 meters, landing her the school’s third all-time spot, while also placing third in long jump. Freshman Nikkel Johnson won discus with a throw of 38.62 meters, placing her seventh all-time at Millikin.
Other placers for the women included De’Andranay Chism taking second in the 400 Meters with 57.55 seconds, Emma Mallory placing third in the 1500 meters at 5:23.48, Hannah Sago taking second in the High Jump with a jump of 1.55 meters, Mikayla Cowart-Toral taking third in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 18.16 seconds, and Maddie Maragni finishing third in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:11.26.
The women’s 4×100 relay consisting of Chism, Cowart-Toral, Zena Roberts, and Alexis Wike took first with a time of 49.51 seconds.
On the men’s side, there were two first place finishers. Julio Hernandez Lopez took first in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase with a time of 10:40.47, and Dayton Lasack won the 400 meter hurdles in 56.33 seconds. Lasack also finished third in the 110 hurdles, with a time of 15.61 seconds.
Many different men’s team members finished third, with James Earlywine in Pole Vault, Chris Ketchum in High Jump, Cole Pemble in Long Jump, Oakley Tate in Javelin, Hunter Danberry in Discus, and Robbie Vavrick in shot put all placing third in their respective categories. The men’s relay team for the 4×400 placed second with a time of 3:27.26, with Kyle Corkill, Lasack, Awstace Grauer, and Aaron Mohr running.
The men’s team had two athletes land on the Millikin top 10 record list with their performances, with Christian Skaggs ninth all time in the 1500 Meters in 4:02.73, and Joey McGinn tenth all time in the 1500 Meters with a time of 4:03.06.
This meet was the last regular season meet for the team, with the conference championships coming up on May 2 and 3. Anyone that does not qualify for nationals at that meet will either opt to participate in a last chance meet or their season will be over.
For many seniors, this time is bittersweet.
“This was our last meet at home, so my time at the Frank M. Lindsay field is over now,” senior Ashlyn Duncan said. “This team brought me some of my best friends and favorite college memories, but I think I’m ready to close this chapter of my life.”
Duncan was the 2022 CCIW RESPECT award recipient, as well as part of the 2023 Academic All-Conference team.
The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships will be Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, at North Central College in Naperville, IL. Last year, the team had many athletes on the outdoor All-Conference team by placing in the top 8 for their event, and the team looks to build off of that success and take home a few titles this year.
