The indoor season concluded for Hamline’s track and field program at the end of February with several Pipers, and a conference championship in shot put thanks to senior Molly Meyers.
Alongside Meyers, two other Pipers found themselves up on the podium after the weekend in Austin Schloeder who placed third in pole vaulting and Madison Reed who was the MIAC runner-up in the weighted throw.
Meyers won the championship with a booming toss of 14.02 meters, an entire meter longer than any other MIAC thrower. This landed Meyer’s at the 6th spot in the nation, ensuring her a spot in the national indoor tournament which will take place the weekend of March 9.
Success was not achieved without countless hours of hard work, preparation and sacrifices. Meyers originally transferred to Hamline out of Long Island University in 2022 to join the Piper’s hockey program.
After joining the track program and becoming one of the institution’s many dual sport athletes she began to excel in shot put, which eventually led to her reaching the upper echelon of MIAC throwers.
Before her climb to the top, she decided to step down from the rink and focus on shot put toward the end of her collegiate career.
“[After] I had stepped away from hockey, I just found that track was going to be a better option or route for me,” Meyers said.
Sophomore Desirae Dates also had a good showing for the throwers at the conference championship, placing fifth with a throw of 12.20 meters.
Besides Meyers competing at nationals the program will get a much needed break from the action until April 6 where the Pipers will be staying on campus for the Hamline Invitational.
The indoor season was one to remember for both programs, especially the women’s team who ended up winning the Luther Invitational on February 3. The men’s program had a strong showing throughout the end of winter as well with a third place finish in Decorah, IA, to highlight the season.
The outdoor season will consist of meets strictly within reach of the Hamline area, with meets at Bethel, Saint Thomas and even the University of Minnesota. The Pipers will hopefully carry the success outdoors and sprint towards more titles.
