Loller Races to HCAC 10K Title, Anderson Captures Fifth in HCAC Championships

Anderson University women's track and field standout Noelle Loller (Lapel, Ind./Lapel) raced to first place in the 10K with a time of 39 minutes, 13.64 seconds during the two-day Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Outdoor Championships, which concluded on Saturday in Terre Haute.

Loller secured the win by 36.32 seconds and held a separation of 1 minutes, 42.26 seconds from third place. The sophomore from Lapel secured the women's program's first distance conference title in the HCAC Outdoor Meet since Candace DeLong won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2012.

Anderson captured fifth in the team standings with a score of 64 points.

ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMANCES

• Noelle Loller – 10,000 – 39:13.64 (1st – First-Team All-HCAC)
• Noelle Loller – 5,000 – 19:17.82 (2nd – Second-Team All-HCAC)
• Emily Smatlak – Javelin Throw – 36.30 meters (119 feet, 1.25 inches) (2nd – Second-Team All-HCAC)
• Mariah Murray – 100 Meter Dash – 13.21 (2nd – Second-Team All-HCAC)
• Mariah Murray – High Jump – 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches) (3rd – All-HCAC Honorable Mention)
• 4x100 Relay – 51.80 (3rd – All-HCAC Honorable Mention) – Krista Franklin, Mariah Murray, Emily Smatlak, Victoria Baver

NOTABLE RELAY PERFORMANCES

• 4x100 Relay – 51.80 (3rd – All-HCAC Honorable Mention) – Krista Franklin, Mariah Murray, Emily Smatlak, Victoria Baver
• 4x400 Relay – 4:29.34 – 6th Place – Victoria Baver, Mariah Murray, Emily Smatlak, Krista Franklin

NOTABLE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

Noelle Loller (Lapel, Ind./Lapel)

• 10,000 – 39:13.64 – 1st Place – First-Team All-HCAC
• 5,000 – 19:17.82 – 2nd Place – Second-Team All-HCAC

Emily Smatlak (Lynnwood, Wash./Lynnwood)

• Javelin Throw – 36.30 meters (119 feet, 1.25 inches) – 2nd Place – Second-Team All-HCAC

Mariah Murray (Indianapolis, Ind./Heritage Christian School)

• 100-Meter Dash Finals – 13.21 – 2nd Place – Second-Team All-HCAC – Season Best
• High Jump – 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches) – 3rd Place – All-HCAC Honorable Mention – Season Best
• 200 Finals – 27.10 – 5th Place – Season Best
• 100 Meter-Dash Prelims – 13.39 – 3rd Place
• 200 Prelims – 27.31 – 5th Place

Krista Franklin (McCordsville, Ind./Mount Vernon)

• 100-Meter Dash Finals – 13.31 – 5th Place
• 100-Meter Dash Prelims – 13.20 – 6th Place – Personal Record
• 200 – 28.33

Victoria Baver (Garrett, Ind./Garrett)

• High Jump – 1.40 meters (4 feet, 7 inches) – 6th Place – Tied Season Best
• Long Jump – 4.35 meters (14 feet, 3.25 inches)

Emilie Penick (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville)

• 800 Finals – 2:40.02 – 7th Place
• 800 Prelims – 2:31.10 – 6th Place – Personal Record
• 1,500 – 5:31.11

Callie Guthrie (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek)

• 3,000 Steeplechase – 13:42.73 – 8th Place – Personal Record
• 5,000 – 22:30.50

Olivia Moss (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield-Central)

• 400 Hurdles Finals – 1:19.87 – 8th Place
• 400 Hurdles Prelims – 1:19.84 – 8th Place
• 100-Meter Hurdles – 19.11 – Personal Record

Kayla Saunders (Louisville, Ky./Presentation Academy)

• 100-Meter Dash – 13.90 – Personal Record
• 200 – 29.20 – Personal Record

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMENTS

Olivia Moss – Personally, I felt like I pushed really hard though my race. My hurdles felt pretty good through the start however I could feel myself want to shrink toward the end and I tried to fight through it as best I could. I talked with a couple people and I know what I need to work on now that I've got the confidence to go over the hurdles. I felt like I gave my 100%. As a team, I felt like a lot of people were in the zone and prepared. Everyone came out of their race with at least one positive thing to say and reflect on. I couldn't ask for a better thing to look back on than the team screaming their hearts out and being there for each other.

Callie Guthrie – This was my first outdoor conference meet and it was super fun. I got a big PR in the steeplechase on Friday, which is super exciting. As a team, we are getting better every day and I am looking forward to what we are going to do next season.

Emilie Penick – Personally, I was super excited to make it to the finals for the 800. In the finals I didn't do as well as I wanted but that will just push me even harder for next season.  Everyone on the team gave it their all and the effort definitely showed for both days - win or lose, we do it together.

Krista Franklin – I think I performed very well. With the 4x100, Emily Smatlak and I didn't have the handoff I hoped to have. Even though we didn't have a good handoff I fought for that third-place finish. I think I ran hard and gave 100%. I am pleased with how I ran for the 100 finals. I think I had an explosive start. I did not get the time I hoped to get since I ran a bit slower than I did [on Friday], but I ran hard. There was good competition in that race and I think I held my own. Overall I would say I performed to the best of my ability. I'd like to say I believe the team did extremely well! I am so proud of all the effort I saw on the track and in the field events. The support the team showed for each other throughout the meet was amazing. The team approached the conference meet with great effort and good attitude.

Emily Smatlak – Though I personally had a bit of a rough day competing, I was proud of our team performance. We started out a bit rocky, but improved throughout the day. We had some good performances on both the men's and women's team; my favorite moment was when the men's team placed third in the 4x400 relay. Regardless of our conference placement, I'm proud of this team and the grit that was shown this weekend. I love these guys, and I'll definitely miss this next year.

Victoria Baver – For the women's track team there were highlights with Noelle Loller and Mariah Murray being top 3 in multiple events. I personally was able to score in 4x1 relay, which scored third overall, as well as the high jump and 4x4 relay. Both the men and women's track and field teams gave it their all with many individual and team medals that lead to the women placing 5th and the men placing 8th overall.

Noelle Loller – I couldn't be happier with how the conference meet went. Winning the 10K was a dream come true and runner-up in the 5K topped it off. I'm so grateful for all my coaches and teammates that have helped me come this far! I am extremely proud of how all the girls did! We had PR's all around. Placing fifth as a team was amazing considering we were short a few girls. It was really great to see everyone's hard work pay off.

Mariah Murray – For me, this was the best last meet I could've asked for. I could knit pick a variety of things I could've done better but I'm happy that I ended my track career the way I did. When I walked off the track, I knew I gave 100% in every event and that's all I could've hoped for. We definitely had some events where we could've scored higher or intended wins that didn't work out but the atmosphere remained positive throughout the day. It's easy for people to get down when things aren't going the right way but having teammates that encourage you to focus on the next event and put your energy into that is what makes the sport so special. The team performed great and I'm happy I was able to spend my last season with this amazing group of people.

COACH SOL STEPHENS'S COMMENTS

• Even though we ended up shorthanded for the weekend, the plan for the women was for everyone who hit the track or field to score and/or PR. That was accomplished. Friday, Callie Guthrie scored in the steeple with a 30-second PR. Emilie Penick ran her toughest race of the year to PR in the 800 to make the finals. Noelle Loller winning the 10K was in her training plan since August. We advanced sprinters to finals, which gives our scoring opportunities.
• Saturday...that's different...we got off to a shaky start to put it politely. Within a 30-minute window, disappointing in an understatement. I wanted my senior field women to go out as their primary event champions. They've worked but that's how it goes in our sport sometimes.
• Then, our resilience showed. I've been saying for this the past two years, my girls are small but mighty. They're tough. They're fiery. We refocused and returned with scorers in the 100 with Mariah Murray and Krista Franklin. Olivia Moss scored in the long hurdles which will be her starting point for next year. There's an upside to Olivia Moss in that race and I'm determined to pull those improvements out of her when her confidence arises. This is Callie Guthrie's first ever track season. Emilie Penick and Krista Franklin showed vast improvement.
• Overall, it was good to be a Raven fan. The culture and work ethic has shifted in the right direction. The ladies overall now know what the expectations are for working towards goals. Last but not least, thank you for those parents who came out to watch and those who were watching at home. I'm already planning for next year's plan.

UP NEXT

Anderson will continue to compete in last-chance qualifiers during the month of May. Smatlak is currently scheduled to compete in the javelin during the Pacesetter Sports Invitational on Friday at 1 p.m. in Terre Haute. She currently ranks 17th on the NCAA Division III leaderboard in the javelin. National qualifiers will compete in the three-day NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, beginning on May 27 in Greensboro, N.C.