The Illinois Springfield women's track team competed at the GVSU Big Meet on Friday, facing a strong field from across the region. The Prairie Stars showed depth in sprint, middle, and distance events, highlighted by another school-record performance from senior Madelyn Miller-Ross.

Miller-Ross ran the race of the day in the 3,000 meters, crossing the line in 9:35 to break the UIS program record and rank No. 11 in NCAA Division II. Junior Marissa Roggensack followed with a personal best in the mile, finishing in 5:09, giving the Prairie Stars a standout performance in the middle distances.

In the 600 meters, junior Kali Gaden led the team with 1:48 in heat five, while teammates Allison Thompson (2:06), Audrey Wagoner (2:08), and Ava Allison (2:08) also competed in the event.

Friday's open distance event, the 5,000 meters, featured multiple strong showings across the team. Sophomore Josslyn Gaona led the way with 18:29, followed by freshman Mackenzie Billard (18:45) and sophomore Olivia Thomsen (19:28). Freshman Emily Lepp made her indoor 5K debut, posting a time of 21:08.

Up Next
The Prairie Stars will return to the track on Saturday looking to post top conference marks and continue building momentum as they move past the mid-season point.