Wayland High School graduate Maggie Whitney and Hopkins grad Bailey Ballard both turned in outstanding performances for Aquinas College Thursday at the 2021 Wolverine-Hoosier Conference (WHAC) outdoor track & field championships in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Ballard, a senior thrower captured two WHAC individual championships while Whitney was a member 4×800 meter relay squad along with Hannah Adler, Colette Lark and Grace Sweet also claimed the conference title.
Ballard was victorious in the hammer throw with a winning toss of 49.91 meters (163 feet, 9 inches) that was nearly nine feet better than the runner-up in the competition. In fact, four of Ballard’s six throws were good enough to win the event.
Ballard followed up her first title with a discus throw championship later in the day. After dominating the hammer throw, her fourth discus 37.52 meters (123 feet, 1 inch) gave her the victory by just five inches.
The 4×800 meter relay team won by nearly 33 seconds, using a time of 9:30.48 to capture the conference title. That time ranks the quartet seventh in the NAIA this season.
COVER PHOTO: The championship WHAC 3200 relay team. Former Wildcat Maggie Whitney is second from right.
