Hailey Nordhus is a freshman on the Kansas Wesleyan women's track team, but she has not backed down from any challenge she has encountered this spring.
Nordhus placed second in the 800 meters on the second and final day of the Kansas Conference's Track and Field Championships on Saturday at JRI Stadium and Graves Family Sports Complex. She ran the two-lap race in 2 minutes, 18.01 seconds.
KWU finished fifth in the team standings with 93 points. Ottawa won the championship with 165 points, edging Saint Mary, which had 162.
"Hailey a freshman making the podium in the 800 meters and is going to be a force to be reckoned with over the next few years," KWU coach Kyle Hiser said. "Quiet but man she's got a killer instinct."
Kierra Jensen also had a big day for the Coyotes crossing the finish line in fourth place in the 5,000 meters (18:24.70).
"She did the steeplechase yesterday, comes back with a fourth-place finish in the 5,000 meters today," Hiser said. "She puts herself in the race, gives herself a chance from the get-go and then boom she's there scoring big points for us."
Josie Koppes finished fifth in the 800 meters (2:23.68) and the 1,500 meters (4:46.48).
"Josie wasn't going to run in college, transfers into Kansas Wesleyan after her first semester at KU as just being a normal student," Hiser said. "Now she's on the podium and she's a member of a (NAIA) national qualifying four by eight relay."
Wesleyan had four other fifth-place finishers - Elizabeth Stout in the shot put (11.82 meters), Chloe Grusing in the discus (37.66m), the 4x400-meter relay team of Alayna Behrman, Micah Dickens, Madisyn Ehrlich and Brionna Floyd (4:06.11) and the 4x100-meter relay team of Markyla Shaw, Julie Rottinghaus, Lauren Mikkelson and Brionna Floyd (49.06).
The 4x100 relay team's time was a school record.
"Two freshmen and two sophomores so a very young group," Hiser said. "Great handoffs all the way through. That's what I always tell my four by ones, please get the baton around the track, they did it and they did it in school record time."
Grusing also was sixth in the shot put (11.52 meters), Aunisty McNeal was ninth (11.34) and Roselyn Torres 25th (8.82).
"Chloe's a senior who has been to a few schools, the last place she wasn't enjoying it, came out here and she just has fun with it," Hiser said. "Always has a smile on her face, always willing to help out wherever is needed."
McNeal also finished eighth in the discus (36.91 meters), Stout 17th (34.57) and Torres 25th (27.58) capping a big two days for Coyote throwers.
"(Assistant coaches) Shaq (Lewis) and (Clayton) Herdman's throws group this weekend, men and women, came out and just surprised," Hiser said. "People who weren't supposed to score scored, people moving up the leaderboard here and there. It's a testament to what they are doing out there at the throws."
Herdman was chosen as the KCAC Women's Assistant Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the competition on Saturday night.
Other KWU results Saturday were:
- Ehrlich sixth (4:50.37) and Makayla Little 12th (5:19.08) in the 1,500 meters.
- Mikkelson eighth (1:09.40) in the 400-meter hurdles.
- Charlee Lind ninth (19:14.52), Micah Dickens 12th (19:36.26) and Alayna Behrman 15th (19:54.86) in the 5,000 meters.
- Floyd 10th (1:01.76) in the 400 meters.