For Immediate Release
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Ja'Cey Simmons (Sprints, So., Milwaukee, Wis. / Milwaukee Lutheran HS) - Minnesota State
- Ran two NCAA provisional times at the Chuck Peterson Open
- Won the 200 meter dash in 24.82
- Her converted time of 24.44 is a provisional time and the fastest in Division II this season
- Placed second in the 60m dash in a time of 7.59, which ranks seventh in Division II this season 

NSIC Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Arika Robinson (Multis, Sr., St. Paul, Minn. / Concordia Academy) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Placed second at the SDSU Holiday Open  in the pentathlon with a career best 3623 points
- Her point total was a NCAA DII provisional mark, which ranked fourth best in nation
- She cleared 5-9.75 (1.77m) in the high jump during the event
- Her high jump is a provisional mark and the best jump in Division II this season

Other Top Track Performances
Ella Heinitz (AUGIE) made her collegiate debut at the SDSU Holiday Open making it to the finals of the 60m dash. Heinitz placed second overall running a time of 7.97 being the fastest Division II athlete in the race.
Alaina Hall (BSU) set three personal records with an event win at the Dakota Alumni Classic. She won the 60m dash with a time of 7.69, tied for fourth-best all-time indoors at BSU. She took third in the long jump with a mark of 17-10.25 and finished third in the 200m dash with a time of 26.23.
Jaid Perry (CSP) took fourth in the 600m at the Chuck Petersen Open with a time of 1:49.72. She was also part of the 4x400 relay group that took second with a time of 4:26.04. 
Caitlin Cornell (MINOT) broke the NCAA Division II-era school record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:39.0 at the Grand Valley State Holiday Open. ran 17:39 to break the D2 era school record set in 2020. Ranked #32 in Division II, #1 in the NSIC, #3 in the Central Region.
Emily Swanson (USF) had an NCAA DII provisional mark by placing fifth with 3, 278 points in the pentathlon at the SDSU Holiday Invite on Dec. 3-4. Her performance ranks second all-time (Katlyn Sawtelle, 3,733, 2014) at USF. She scored 800 points in the 60 hurdles at 9.54; 795 points in the high jump at 5-05; 531 points in the shot put with a throw of 32-11; 456 points in the long jump at 15-01.5 and 696 points in the 800 meters with a 2:29.76 clocking.
Maddie Stevens (UIU) broke the UIU record in the 200m dash at the Frigid Bee Invite hosted by St. Ambrose University. She won the event to claim 10 points for the Peacocks thanks to a time of 26.22 seconds. Nailea Espinoza also broke a UIU record in the 60m dash with a time of 7.96 seconds to place second and score eight points for the team.
Shereen Vallabouy (WSU) looked to be in mid-season form in the Warriors’ first indoor competition of the season, winning the Chuck Peterson Invitational 400-meters as an individual and anchoring the Winona State champion 4X400 meter relay team. She won the 400-meters with a time of 55.48, which converted for track size is 54.76 and the fastest time in Division II this season.  She also anchored the Winona State 4X400 to a first place finish.  squad - Ran key leg in the 4:05.31 4X400 relay champion - Improved on 2021 NSIC Indoor Championship 400-meter time by nearly two seconds

Other Top Field Performances
Kaly Banks (AUGIE) placed fifth in the triple jump finals out of a field of 31 athletes at the SDSU Holiday Open with a jump of 36-9.75.
Rachel Schumacher (MSUM) finished second in the high jump at Dakota Classic at 5-4.5. 
Shona Juliana (NSU) smashed a 34-year-old school record in the triple jump at the SDSU Holiday Invite, she won that event with a jump of 12.02 meters (39-5.25). The previous record was a mark of 11.46 meters (37-7.25). Juliana also finished second in the long jump with a mark of 18-5, which was just off her own school record set last season. Her triple jump effort is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and her long jump mark is just off the provisional standard.
Emma Hertz (USF) had a pair of NCAA DII provisional marks (shot put and weight throw) and a school record, just missing a second in a big day in Brookings at the SDSU Holiday Invite Dec. 3-4. Hertz, who won two throwing events (discus and shot put) and was second in the other event (weight throw). She broke a school record and her own mark in the weight throw with a toss of 19.26 meters or 63-02.25. The DII provisional mark bettered her own mark of 62-1.25 earlier in 2021. Then, she won the shot put at 15.15m-49-08.50 with a toss that ranks second all-time at USF just behind her own throw of 52-02 in 2021. Both of her throws lead the NSIC. In the shot put, she bettered several DI and top DII competitors in the events. Also for Hertz, she had a rare opportunity in the discus on Saturday. And, she captured the discus (normally an outdoor event) title with a winning throw of 47.21m-154.10, a mark which ranks second all-time at USF.
Faith Lubner (SCSU) leapt a personal-best 5.82 meters to take second in the Long Jump at the Chuck Petersen Open.
Genevieve Chenoweth (UIU) set the third Peacock school record in the pole vault at the Frigid Bee Invite hosted by St. Ambrose University. Chenoweth recorded a high mark of 2.60 meters to finish sixth.
Mckenzie Scheil (WSC) posted two top five finishes at SDSU Holiday Invitational. She had a NCAA provisional mark in weight throw to place third at 62-2.75 and finished fifth in shot put at 43-10.75. 
Xana Leum (WSU) started off strong in the first event of the 2021-22 NSIC Indoor Track & Field season, as the Warriors took part in the Chuck Peterson Open, hosted by Minnesota State . Competing in the triple jump, Leum leaped to a fifth-place finish with a final mark of 10.94-meters. Leum’s finish was the top field event score for Winona State on the day.

 

Women's Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week
12/7/21
T: Ja'Cey Simmons  - Minnesota State
F: Arika Robinson  - Concordia-St. Paul

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 24 team national championships and crowned 81 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.