That Ashland University's women's 4x400-meter relay team will compete at the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships is only part of the story.
How seniors
Rachel Miller and
Cheyanne Davis, junior
Macy Creamer and freshman
Mia Gardner qualified for outdoor nationals, Thursday-Sunday (May 26-28) at Grand Valley State, is the headline.
It took until a last-chance meet at Baldwin Wallace, the Harrison Dillard Twilight, for the Eagle quartet to make outdoor nationals. It was there where the 4x400 popped a season-best time of 3:43.14, which will be the No. 9-ranked mark when Miller, Davis, Creamer and Gardner run in prelims on Friday at 8:10 p.m.
"It felt great. We had our eyes set on that all along," Miller said. "We never really had a great opportunity to run it. But we knew that we were going to be running it fresh (at BW). To see it all come together, and to see four girls run for each other to make it happen was really special."
The last time the four going to nationals ran prior to BW was the Ashland Alumni Open, and that finish was 4:03.56 – meaning they sliced more than 20 seconds off that time in order to make outdoor nationals.
This won't be the first time that Davis, Creamer, Gardner and Miller will go to nationals together. They did so in the 4x400 relay indoors in March, and earned All-American status by finishing in eighth place.
"I think it's been one of the strongest relays I've seen, and I feel like we all just mesh really well," said Creamer. "We all run for each other, and I think that's a big part of why we're successful."
"It's very exciting," Davis said of going back to nationals for a second time in less than three months. "We've been working hard. Just to see it actually happen is exciting. Definitely something to celebrate."
Gardner is following in a long recent line of young Eagle runners who have found out early what it takes to get to nationals, then compete there.
"It's very cool to be able to go as a freshman. The overall experience is something I didn't think, as a freshman, I was going to be able to do," Gardner said. "It's something I use as motivation."
The late
Jud Logan discussed extensively how he wanted to get the women's team back into a nationals podium position. Six AU women will go to 2022 outdoor nationals, after seven went to 2022 indoor nationals – numbers higher than in 2021 (three each indoors and outdoors).
"It's great as a program to have great individuals," Miller said, "but sending a relay to the national meet speaks volumes about the program. It's hard to put a relay together with really strong individuals, so to be able to do that and see a program building to that point…we have a group of girls that run for each other and put forth a strong effort.
"That's only going to make other girls that are in high school now want to come and be a part of it."
"It goes to show all the hard work…and trying to fulfill that dream," Davis said.
Said Creamer, "I think it's definitely a great motivation for the girls that didn't get to go this year. Seeing our group go is hopefully going to be motivating for them to want to work toward that."
Gardner is looking forward to having six more shots at nationals combined as an Eagle after making it 2-for-2 as a freshman.
"I remember being recruited and the thing was we're trying to build the women's track team," she said. "It shows what we're capable of."
Ashland University track and field athletes have a propensity to finish at nationals in a higher position than their seed. The members of the Eagle women's 4x4 relay wouldn't make a prediction on their finish, but Miller did say, "We'll just have to wait and see. The culture of our program is not to call things out. We let our running do the talking."
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