Augustana finishes 4th at CCIW Championship and 41st at national meet; Seven Vikings qualify for nationals; Hannah Willhite an All-American in two events; Valeria Melo named Academic All-America; three school records fall
 
Led by an impressive corps of sprinters, Coach David Thompson's 2018 Augustana track & field squad finished fourth at the CCIW Outdoor Championships and qualified seven athletes for the national meet in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Sophomore Hannah Willhite (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) earned All-America honors at both 100 and 200 meters to lead the Vikings to 41st place finish in the team standings. Willhite and classmate Katie Eastburn (Dawson County HS, Glendive, Mont.) figured greatly in the three school records that fell this spring as well. Senior Valeria Melo (Lisle HS, Lisle, Ill.) capped off the year in June with her inclusion on the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-America team.
 
Especially bad weather wreaked havoc with this year's schedule. Nearly 10 inches of snow wiped out the Augustana Early Spring Opener on March 24. Two weeks later, the Ashton May Invitational at Wisconsin-La Crosse was canceled and the Vikings instead traveled to UW-Platteville for a dual meet. More inclement weather postponed the Benedictine Relays for a day, with Augustana deciding not to make the later trip.
 
In between, the Viking Olympics were held at Paul V. Olsen Track on April 29. Eastburn, Willhite, senior Sydney Zaragoza (Rosary HS, Aurora, Ill.) and freshman Amanda Peterson (Wheaton St. Francis HS, Glen Ellyn, Ill.) won the 4x100 relay in a school-record :47.87 and the Vikings claimed an additional five events as Thompson's crew finished second in a field of 11 teams.
 
On April 20-21, Augustana was back at home for the Viking Invitational. Eastburn's school-record in the 400 was one of four winning efforts for the hosts, who finished second among 13 teams.
 
Zaragoza and Melo and sophomores Madi Glatz (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) and Eastburn finished 11th in the 4x400 relay at the Drake Relays, while the 4x100 quartet turned in a 12th-place performance.
 
School records fell like dominos at the CCIW Championships on May 4-5 at North Central College. In Friday's prelims, Eastburn set new standards in both the 200 and 400. Her mark at 200 meters lasted just one day, however, as Willhite broke it in winning a conference title on Saturday. Willhite won the 100 as well and Eastburn captured the 400. Eastburn, Willhite, Zaragoza and Peterson took down their own school record in winning the 4x100 and the 4x400 relay also claimed a CCIW championship. Junior Mackenzie Butcher (Sand Creek HS, Colorado Springs, Colo.) won her first outdoor pole vault title, to go with a pair of indoor championships, as the Vikings finished in fourth place as a team.
 
Following the Augustana Twilight Qualifier on May 17, seven Vikings had earned spots at the national meet in a total of six events. Eastburn qualified in four—the 200 and 400, as well as with both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Other Augustana qualifiers included Willhite at 100 and 200 meters and with the 4x100 relay, Butcher in the pole vault, Zaragoza and Peterson in the 4x100 and Zaragoza, Melo and Glatz in the 4x400.
 
Willhite became the Vikings' first double All-American in 11 years, taking fifth in the 100 and sixth in the 200 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in La Crosse, Wisconsin on May 26. Eastburn finished 11th in the 400 and 13th in the 200. Butcher tied for 12th in the pole vault and the relay teams finished 14th in the 4x400 and 16th in the 4x100. Willhite's seven points tied Augustana for 41st in the final team standings.
 
 
2018 CCIW CHAMPIONSHIP
May 4-5, 2018 *** Al B. Carius Track *** North Central College – Naperville, Illinois


TEAM SCORES: 1. Wheaton 187; 2. Illinois Wesleyan 135.5; 3. Carthage 123.5; 4. AUGUSTANA 120; 5. North Central 117; 6. Millikin 72; 7. Carroll 35; 8. North Park 22; 9. Elmhurst 6
 
INDIVIDUAL EVENT WINNERS
100 – Hannah Willhite, AUGUSTANA :12.05; 200 – Hannah Willhite, AUGUSTANA :24.54; 400 – Katie Eastburn, AUGUSTANA :55.96; 800 – Mackenzie Dixon, Millikin 2:12.68; 1500 – Hannah Roeske, Wheaton 4:43.53; 5000 – Hannah Roeske, Wheaton 18:22.65; 10,000 – Victoria Drake, Illinois Wesleyan 36:56.47; 100 Hurdles – Favor Ezewuzie, Wheaton :15.26; 400 Hurdles – Erin Lukens, Millikin 1:01.58; 3000 Steeplechase – Hannah Roeske, Wheaton 10:45.15; 4x100 Relay – AUGUSTANA (Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson) :47.56; 4x400 Relay – AUGUSTANA (Sydney Zaragoza, Valeria Melo, Madi Glatz, Katie Eastburn) 3:52.89; High jump – Elanta Slowek, Carthage 5' 5"; Pole vault – Mackenzie Butcher, AUGUSTANA 11' 10"; Long Jump – Amelia Glueck, Illinois Wesleyan 19' 6¾"; Triple Jump – Brea Blackwell, Millikin 38' 2¾"; Shot Put – Sarah Schmidt, Carthage 44' 11½"; Discus – Sarah Schmidt, Carthage 154' 1"; Hammer Throw – Mia Bennett, Carthage 186' 1"; Javelin – Elanta Slowek, Carthage 143' 5"; Heptathlon – Nicole Kitchen, Wheaton 4,452
 
2018 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES 
SCHOOL RECORDS: 200—Hannah Willhite :24.54 at CCIW Championships in Rock Island, Illinois on 05/05/18 (broke previous record of :24.80 by Katie Eastburn at CCIW Championships in Rock Island, Illinois on 05/04/18)
400—Katie Eastburn :55.92 at CCIW Championships in Rock Island, Illinois on 05/04/18 (broke previous record of :55.98 set by Katie Eastburn at Viking Invitational on 04/21/18)
4x100 Relay—Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson :47.56 at CCIW Championships in Rock Island, Illinois on 05/05/18 (broke previous record of :47.87 set by Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson at Viking Olympics on 03/29/18)
 
NCAA DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA
Hannah Willhite, 100 (5th—:12.15); Hannah Willhite, 200 (6th—:24.91)
 
NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
Hannah Willhite, 100 (5th—:12.15); Hannah Willhite, 200 (6th—:24.91); Katie Eastburn, 200 (13th—:25.37); Katie Eastburn, 400 (11th—:56.28); Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson, 4x100 Relay (16th—:48.28); Sydney Zaragoza, Valeria Melo, Madi Glatz, Katie Eastburn, 4x400 relay (14th—3:53.47); Mackenzie Butcher, Pole vault (12th-11' 11¾")
 
CCIW CHAMPIONS: 100 – Hannah Willhite :12.05; 200 – Hannah Willhite :24.54; 400 – Katie Eastburn :55.96; 4x100 Relay – Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson :47.56; 4x400 Relay – Sydney Zaragoza, Valeria Melo, Madi Glatz, Katie Eastburn 3:52.89; Pole vault – Mackenzie Butcher 11' 10"
 
GOOGLE CLOUD/CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA: Valeria Melo
 
GOOGLE CLOUD/CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Valeria Melo
 
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Claire Bacon, Comet Blecha, Sophia Bolanos, Sadie Brown, Laura Butcher, Kylie Cline, Michelle DeArmond, Leah Flanagan, Carol Garcia, Madison Glatz, Brooke Harmon, Audrey Hogenkamp, Olivia Hogenkamp, Jill Humecke, Brianna Jepson, Claire Koszewski, Erin La Russo, Jessica Lechtenberg, Shelby Limbach, Daniele London, Jordan MacNeil, Morgan McEnroe, Valeria Melo, Rachel Oliver, Hannah Penn, Amanda Peterson, Mackenzie Renihan, Sierra Scanlan, Arianne Shipp, Ashley Talken, Isabel Vallejo, Sofia Wajner, Cassidy Wingerd


CCIW ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Hannah Willhite (Track), 04/03/18; Katie Eastburn (Track), 04/24/18
 
AUGUSTANA TEAM AWARDS
MVP: Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza (Track), Mackenzie Butcher (Field); Freshman of the Year: Jordan MacNeil, Giavanna Schwager, Amanda Peterson; Susan Wall Most Improved: Madi Glatz, Abby Casey; Erica Vortman Viking Spirit Award: Katherine Syer, Jessica Lechtenberg, Valeria Melo; Coaches Award: Tayloran Miller, Isabel Vallejo.
 
INDIVIDUAL & RELAY CHAMPIONS IN INVITATIONALS
Viking Olympics, 03/29/18 in Rock Island, Illinois: 100—Hannah Willhite :12.26; 200—Hannah Willhite :25.22; 400—Katie Eastburn :57.61; 100 hurdles—Sofia Wajner :15.20; 4x100 relay— Katie Eastburn, Hannah Willhite, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson :47.87; Pole vault—Leah Flanagan 11' 1¾"
Viking Invitational, 04/20-21/18 in Rock Island, Illinois: 100—Hannah Willhite :12.23; 400—Katie Eastburn :55.98; 4x100 relay—Hannah Willhite, Katie Eastburn, Sydney Zaragoza, Amanda Peterson :47.89; Pole vault—Mackenzie Butcher 12' 4½"
 
Dr. Keeler Twilight, 05/10-11/18 in Naperville, Illinois: 100—Hannah Willhite :12.12
 
Augustana Twilight Qualifier, 05/17/18 in Rock island, Illinois: 200—Hannah Willhite :24.56; 5000—Abby Casey 18:02.63; 4x400 relay—Sydney Zaragoza, Valeria Melo, Madi Glatz, Katie Eastburn 3:53.47; Pole vault—Mackenziie Butcher 11' 10"
 
AUGUSTANA TEAM FINISHES
USTFCCCA NCAA DIVISION III TEAM COMPUTER RANKINGS: 33rd in NCAA Division III; 11th in the Midwest Region
 
INVITATIONALS: Viking Olympics, 03/29/18—2nd of 11... Viking Invitational, 04/20-21/18—2nd of 13