Northwestern College announces Vander Waal Leaps to All-American Status at NAIA Championships
From May 26, 2023 post.
MARION, Ind. – The track and field season came to a close this weekend with the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championship on the 24th, 25th, and 26th, of May. The women's team was comprised of Kennedy Kramer in the open 400 and in the 4x400m, joined by Savonne Sterk, Emma Blum, and Jasmine Lux in the relay as well. Jacie Vander Waal would close out the competition for the women on Friday in the High Jump.
Starting off the competition for the women was Kramer in the open 400 on a slightly chilly Thursday afternoon. Feeling ready Kramer would push hard off the line when she heard the starter's gun, and then settle into her rhythm. Unfamiliar with the different track, she would later say she settled in too much as the curves were longer than normal and she lost track of where she was at. Finishing as hard as she could, Kramer would come through the line in 57.90 in 18th place overall.
Later that night, Kramer would join Sterk, Blum, and Lux in the 4x400m relay. Sterk in the starting blocks would run a stellar first leg for the Raiders, setting the team in the middle of the pack at her hand off. Waiting in second would be Blum, her first time in that position and first time with the job of cutting down to lane one. Blum, sitting in 5th from Sterk's leg would push hard to catch 4th place and zoom past her competitor by 150m into the race. Working hard to maintain that position, but feeling the wall hit from that sudden surge, she would finish her leg to hand the baton off to Lux waiting at anchor. A little jostling at the exchange pushed Lux down to 5th place. Fighting hard to the line, it would be just barely a lean that would decide the outcome for the Raiders. The women would finish in 6th place, less than half a second away from 4th place in their heat. Their final time of 3:56.57 would place them 17th overall.
Last up on Friday afternoon was Jacie Vander Waal in the high jump. Nerves that had set in would be no match as Vander Waal would ultimately tie for 7th place in the competition, garnering All-American status for the first time in her career. The first height of 5'3" would be cleared in one jump by Vander Waal, as would the second jump of 5'5". That 5'5" clearance tied her season and collegiate best. She then got to look at a PR bar of 5' 6.25" or 1.68m. A first jump miss would cause her to re evaluate her mark and ever so slightly adjust the jump, leading a clearance on her second jump. As the wind picked up, 1.71m or 5'7.25" would be raised for the bar. Unfortunately only one PR was on the docket today for Vander Waal as she was unable to clear the 4th height. Her final clearance was a Personal Record of 1.68m or 5' 6.25", to finish in 7th place overall.
Raider Final Results
Kennedy Kramer: 400m Dash
- 57.90 – 18th
4x400m Relay: Savonne Sterk, Emma Blum, Kennedy Kramer, Jasmine Lux
- 3:56.57 – 17th
Jacie Vander Waal: High Jump
- 1.68m: 5' 6.25" – 7th place
Up Next: The Red Raider track and field season comes to a close at the NAIA Championships.
Original source can be found here.