Hillsdale College announces Chargers' Shura Ermakov named G-MAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30 - Feb. 6)
From February 6, 2023 post.
Given her previous accolades, it was only a matter of time before Hillsdale College sophomore Shura Ermakov brought home a G-MAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week award.
That time has arrived after a stellar performance that included two meet records at this weekend's Jud Logan Light Giver Open, hosted by Ashland.
Running in her first open 400m dash of the 2022-23 season, Ermakov broke the meet record in the event with a massive personal record time of 55.63, the fastest time in the G-MAC this season, the 10th fastest in NCAA Division II so far this season, and just six-tenths of a second off the school record set by Jazmin Williams in 2006.
Later that day, Ermakov came back to be a part of a second meet record, teaming with Gwynne Riley, Reese Dragovich and Margaret Scheske to win the Distance Medley Relay in 11:41.94, also the fastest time in the G-MAC this season and the fifth-fastest time in the nation at the NCAA DII level to date.
A hurdler for the Chargers, there was little doubt that Ermakov had the raw speed to be a potential force in the 400m dash after running legs in All-American 4x400m relays three times, twice outdoors (2021, 2022) and once indoors (2021). But the mark is still a nearly-two second improvement on her previous best time of 57.54 set two years ago indoors, and puts her in contention for a spot at the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Championships in the event. Hillsdale's time in the distance medley relay also has a good chance of making it to the national meet, potentially giving Ermakov multiple chances to make the trip to Virginia Beach in March.
Ermakov and the Chargers next travel to Grand Valley State this weekend for the Lakers' two-day Big Meet, representing the highest level of competition Hillsdale is likely to see before the G-MAC Championships at the end of February and a golden opportunity for more huge performances as championship season fast approaches in indoor track and field.
Original source can be found here.