The Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars opened the championship weekend on Saturday at the campus of the University of Indianapolis, competing first in the 5,000-meter run.
In the 5K, Josslyn Gaona led the Prairie Stars’ scoring effort by finishing eighth overall in 18:31.80 to earn one team point. Freshman Mackenzie Billard made her conference championship debut and placed 13th in 19:06.25, while sophomore Olivia Thomsen also competed in her first GLVC championship track meet, finishing 18th in 20:00.71.
On Sunday, Marissa Roggensack competed in two events. The junior placed 18th in the mile with a time of 5:26.13 before returning later in the day to finish 19th in the 3,000 meters in 10:55.61.
The highlight of the weekend came when Miller-Ross dominated the 3,000-meter run, winning the race in a GLVC Indoor Track & Field Championship time of 9:41.03. She entered with a seed time faster than the previous conference record, and she pulled away from the field to win by more than 13 seconds. The race unfolded with consistent splits throughout the early and middle stages, separating from the second-place runner about one kilometer in. Miller-Ross closed with a strong final 400 meters to secure the championship.
The Prairie Stars finished the championship meet with 11 points and placed 12th in the team standings.
“This championship meet was one to remember,” said head coach Emmons King. “Our team fought a lot of adversity early on and was able to make the most of it. It ended on a special note with Maddie breaking the GLVC 3K record in 9:41.03. This is a testament to her hard work, and I could not be more proud of her!”
Up Next
Miller-Ross is currently inside the qualification cutoff for the 5,000-meter field for the upcoming NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The national field will be officially announced Tuesday. If she qualifies, she will compete at the national championship meet in Virginia Beach on March 13.
The outdoor season is scheduled to open later in March with Prairie Stars distance runners set to compete at the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis, Mo., followed by the Big Blue Outdoor Opener in Decatur, Ill.
