The Illinois Springfield women's track team reached the high point of the regular season at the GVSU Big Meet on Saturday, facing some of the strongest competition of the year. Saturday's performances showcased the Prairie Stars' depth and readiness for the postseason.

Marissa Roggensack led Saturday's distance showings with a 3,000-meter time of 10:35. Freshman Mackenzie Billard turned in a personal record of 10:52, while sophomore Olivia Thomsen ran a PR of 11:08.

Senior Madelyn Miller-Ross followed up her program-record 3,000 meters on Friday with a 21st-place finish in the 800 meters (2:21) on Saturday. Also in the 800 meters, sophomore Josslyn Gaona ran 2:28, and junior Kali Gaden finished in 2:29.

Freshman Addison Wittenberg continued her impressive start with personal bests in both the 60 meters (8.42) and 200 meters (28.15). 

"I'm very pleased with our team's results this weekend," said head coach Emmons King. "We had several women open up in their respective events and hit conference marks! Competing in a two-day meet like this really prepares us for the conference championships, and I'm excited to see what we can do there in two weeks."

As King noted, several UIS athletes are positioned to qualify for the GLVC Championships, with official confirmations expected during championship week.

Up Next
UIS will compete a partial squad at the Illinois College Hilltop Classic on Feb. 20 before competing at the GLVC Championship on Feb. 28-March 1.