[Track and Field] Higgins, Hansen hit qualifying marks

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Sophomore Jenna Higgins set a school and meet record in the 55 meter dash while qualifying for the NAIA indoor national meet, and senior Kelsey Hansen won the weight throw at Saturday's Sol Butler Classic hosted by the University of Dubuque.

"This meet was a good start for the team," said Head Coach Jamie Jimison. "We had nice performances across the board. A school record was hit, there were 11 additional Mount Mercy top 10 marks, and we had NAIA qualifying standards by Higgins and Hansen."

Higgins reached the NAIA's "B" qualifying standard while setting school and meet records with a time of :07.32 in the preliminaries of the 55 meter dash. She won the finals with a time of :07.34. Higgins also teamed up with sophomore Larissa Wilden, junior Cortni Kooi, and senior Janae Rosien to win the 4x200 meter relay in 1:49.97.

Hansen, who had already qualified for the NAIA indoor national meet at the Viking Throws Fest in December, again eclipsed the NAIA's automatic qualifying mark with a meet record throw of 50'-00". She also placed third in the shot put with a distance of 39'-5 1/4".

More Mustangs produced top-five finishes on Saturday. Senior Beth Ripperger won the 3,000 meter run in 11:16.87 and ran fifth in the 600 meter run (1:41.51). Wilden was runner-up in the high jump (5'1") and fourth in the 55 meter hurdles (:09.21), Rosien placed second in the long jump (16'7") and fourth in the 55 meter dash (:07.59), and freshman Allie Ziskovsky finished second in the shot put (40'0").

Junior Jacqueline Kane finished third in the 200 meter dash (:27.21) and fourth in the 600 meter run (1:41.44). Junior Kara Danielsen placed third in the 800 meter run (2:36.84), and the distance medley relay team of freshman Mackenzie Holladay, sophomore Shelby Daisy, junior Paula Hermsen, and freshman Wendi Dunn took third in the distance medley relay with a time of 14:08. Sophomore Stephanie Nibaur was fifth in the 3,000 meter run in 11:43.11.

There were three top-10 finishers on the men's side, led by senior Matt Clarke's sixth-place performance in the 600 meter run in 1:30.73. Freshman David Carbajal was eighth in the event in 1:33.49. Junior Cody Robertson was ninth in the 55 meter hurdles and cracked Mount Mercy's all-time top 10 with a time of :08.45.

Mount Mercy competes at the Cornell Quadrangular on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 10:00 a.m. at the Small Multi-Sport Center in Mount Vernon.