MIAC success for Track & Field

Track & Field’s first half of the season wrapped up with the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Indoor Championship over Feb. 27- March 1. Let’s rewind and recap all of the feats that these athletes were able to achieve.
The three-day tournament took place in Collegeville, Minnesota, with many of the Piper athletes paving a way for themselves and making their names known by earning MIAC titles. This year’s indoor tournament proved the hard work, talent and skills the Hamline Track & Field team has — with the many athletes taking home MIAC wins, placing in the top ten and most notably being the first to win titles in a decade for select events.
First-year Ricky Kwabena Yawson has had one remarkable season for himself. Kwabena Yawson — who has only been running track & field a year prior to now —has been breaking long-standing school records left and right.
Kwabena Yawson has been the one to watch since he made quite the impression when he broke a ten-year-old school record for the 60-meter dash at his very first collegiate meet. He went on to break his own record again at both the preliminaries and then again during the final 60-meter dash during the MIACs. Kwabena Ywason now holds the record at 6.91 seconds,, placed third place overall in both prelims and in the tournament for the 60m dash, which is impressive for a first-year to accomplish against many experienced athletes.
“I think it's something special because not everybody can get there and achieve what I have. I was not expecting it, you know, cause it was my first indoor and so you know I did great and like, I think it’s special for me,” Kwabena Yawson said.
Kwabena Yawson was not the only first-year to see success at the MIACs this indoor season. First-year Sprinter Isaiah Watson took home a MIAC win at his very first collegiate competition. Watson is the fourth person in Hamline history to win the Triple Jump and the first to do so in almost 10 years. Watson follows Hamline alumni Bakari Jackson ’19 who was the last Piper to win the Triple Jump back in 2016.
“Leading up to the MIACs, I was a little nervous but I was also really excited because I was able to compete in both my events as a freshman. Now that they’re over I feel even better because I placed 6th in the MIAC as a freshman and I won triple jump with an all-time personal best of 46'10,” Watson said.
Senior Weight Thrower, Lexi Brainer, was also at the top of her game this season. Brainer took home a MIAC title for the weight throw, scoring 17.11m. Brainer was also the first Piper to win this title since Jenneel Rodney ’22 won this title during her senior year as well.
Brainer and Rodney ’22 were teammates back during the 2022 season when this was Brainer’s first season competing for the Pipers and Rodney’s last.
“Jenneel is just an amazing person and honestly I am so happy to just take after her in a way so I’m really happy that I was able to do it after her for sure,” Brainer said.
Sophomore Pole Vaulter Austin Schloeder proved himself this indoor season at the MIACs by winning the title for Pole Vaulting. Schloeder continued the Hamline winning streak by clearing a 4.66m bar, making him the first Piper to win the Pole Vault title in 10 years with alumnus Mark Volker ’15 being the last to receive the title.
“I’m feeling pretty good. I have [a personal record] this year, and so I was pretty accomplished. It was definitely a step up from last year. And I know I did a lot, I cleared a bar every meet this year,” Schloeder said.
Even with the indoor season wrapping up, that is not stopping these Pipers from looking ahead to see what else they can accomplish this season. Both Watson and Schloeder cited that a goal they have is being able to compete at nationals coming up for indoor season. Many of the track athletes are excited for nationals and hoping to perform even better to potentially be placed in the top 40 overall of nationals to win the coveted All-American title.
“The rest of my season, I think I have the chance this year to break the Hamline record to become the number one Hamline Vaulter. It would be cool to go to both Indoor and Outdoor Nationals. Right now I am sitting at [21], so I am one position away from that. So I have to go and show up this weekend to get there,” Schloeder said.