Impressive Beginning for Chippewa Track and Field at GVSU Holiday Open

ALLENDALE, Mich.— The Central Michigan Track and Field team commenced its 2024-25 indoor season on Friday at the Holiday Open hosted by Grand Valley State, marking the first collegiate competition for 15 of its freshmen.
 
The Chippewas achieved several noteworthy finishes and personal bests on the opening day, with 5 athletes setting new personal records and recording 12 top-10 placements.
 
Freshman Amyah Chosa secured first place in the shot put, hitting a mark of 12.81m among 23 competitors. Ereka Risner achieved an indoor personal best, finishing 3^rd with a throw of 12.54m. Risner, a junior, placed 17^th in the weight throw.
 
In the pole vault, sophomore Emily Yoshino earned 4^th place with a height of 3.50m, while Riley Nielsen recorded a collegiate personal-best height of 3.35m, finishing 9^th. Both Lynette Cipolla and freshman Alexandra Cinzori placed 15^th at a height of 3.05m.
 
The Chippewa jumpers also took part in the high jump and long jump events. Freshman Riley Kerr finished 4^th in the high jump, clearing 1.64m, while another freshman, Peyton Spicer, claimed 9^th and Cipolla ended up 17^th. Freshman Hailey Hill reached the finals of the long jump in her debut meet, finishing 9^th with a jump of 5.21m.
 
For the sprinting squad, Sky Austin, Mireya Benjamin, Dior Newson, Kaitlynn Rush, Robyn Watts, and Danica Shamion participated, with Benjamin, Newson, and Shamion competing in their initial collegiate races.
 
Rush, a senior, attained 8^th place in both the 60m and 200m dashes, while Austin, a sophomore, notched personal best times, finishing 27^th and 29^th in their respective events. Benjamin concluded 12^th in the 60m and 20^th in the 200m dash, while Newson placed 25^th and 23^rd respectively.
 
Shamion participated in the 200m and 400m dashes, finishing 18^th in both. Watts secured 24^th in the 400m.
 
Freshmen Jada Pride and Ciara Rosenzweig competed in the 60m hurdles, with Pride finishing 17^th in 9.47 seconds, while Rosenzweig came in 19^th.
 
Grace Jenkins and Libby Munderloh ran the 800m, with Munderloh finishing 14^th and Jenkins achieving a personal best time to finish 18^th.
 
In the mile run, freshmen Olivia East and Lois Creasey finished 5^th and 9^th respectively, out of 44 runners. Additionally, Miranda McNeil and Braydee Elling, both freshmen, participated in the second heat of the 3,000m, finishing 6^th and 8^th, respectively.
 
Munderloh, East, Grace Jenkins, and Creasey formed a team for the 4×400 relay, achieving a 5^th place finish overall with a time of 3:59.85.

Logan Brazee, Emma Janesak, Emma Netzel, and Kate Jenkins participated in the 5,000m for CMU. In the third heat, Janesak placed 7^th, Brazee 14^th, and Netzel 18^th. Jenkins concluded CMU’s day by participating in the second heat of the race in the evening, finishing 15^th with a personal-best time.
 
While the team won’t compete collectively again until 2025, Emily Paupore is set to compete in the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener on Saturday, December 7.
 
The Chippewas will resume competition on January 17 at the Jack Skoog Open, which is one of the two indoor meets scheduled for the season.