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Goshen, IN — As the annual Maple Leaf Invitational wound to a close Friday evening, a large throng of Goshen College fans were not yet ready to exit the Roman Gingerich Center.
With two school records already broken and several other fieldhouse records set, the Leafs’ women’s program looked to save perhaps the best for last.
Freshman Tina Peters, just one week removed from placing fifth in the Millrose Games One Mile Race Walk National Indoor Championship at Madison Square Garden, had the Roman Gingerich Center crowd — and her teammates — captivated in the evening’s final event.
One of the country’s best race walkers, Peters used a late surge to finish first in Friday’s nightcap 3,000-meter race walk, dismantling her old program record in a time of 14:31.84. Peters set the school record in Goshen’s first meet of the year in a time of 15:09.22.
“First of all, our entire team offers a big thanks to all of the students, staff and family members that came and gave their support Friday night,” said Rick Clark, Goshen head coach. “We had some very good performances, and our home crowd’s support and enthusiasm really helped to push our athletes. Tina Peters’ performance in the 3k race walk was very exciting in the last event of the day. She took over the lead from the top male walker in the last lap to post an outstanding time of 14:31.18. It bettered her previous school record and NAIA qualifying mark by over 30 seconds, and it had everyone on their feet. Really exciting stuff.”
Peters’ walk capped over four hours of competition between Goshen and Mid-Central Conference rival Bethel College, although no team points were awarded at the dual meet.
Sophomore Laura Harnish had perhaps the most impressive evening of any Goshen athlete, winning the 1,000-meter run in a school-record time of 3:05.14. That time was also an NAIA national qualifying mark, while Harnish out-raced fellow teammate and senior Petrana Petkova (second place, 3:05.45) for the blue-ribbon. Both Harnish and Petkova received automatic bids to NAIA nationals based on their times, while freshmen Whitney Turner (3:11.48) and Rachael Baker (3:14.33) finished third and fourth, respectively.
Harnish also took first in the 800-meter dash in a time of 2:28.01, and anchored Goshen’s winning, 4 X 2 Lap relay team in a time of 4:34.17. Baker and sophomores Abri Houser and Rachel Versluis joined Harnish in that event.
“Laura Harnish had an excellent night winning two events and being part of a winning relay team,” Clark said. “She was running very smoothly the entire meet.”
Houser cracked another program mark — beating her existing best time in the 55-meter hurdles — running the event in a clip of :08.59, just off her :08.62 performance set earlier this season. Houser also took first place in the high jump, clearing a height of 4 feet, 10 inches. Her leap of 14 feet, 10 and ¼ inches in the long jump was second-best on the night.
“Abri’s time in the hurdles was also a fieldhouse record, which adds to her resume,” Clark said.
Another Roman Gingerich Center mark was set by sophomore Deanna Kronk in the 35-pound weight throw, as Kronk garnered a distance of 44 feet, five and ½ inches, taking first in the event. That distance was just off her school-record of 45 feet, 3 inches set earlier this season. Kronk also won the shot put event against good competition from Bethel, charting a sling of 39 feet, 3 inches.
Wearing her home country’s national colors in the 3,000-meter run, Petkova shone through in a national qualifying mark of 10:27.96, winning the event easily. Turner added a third-place performance in the 800-meter run (2:33.16), while Versluis finished second in the 55-meter dash (:07.91) and third in the long jump (13 feet, 10 and ¾ inches). Senior Laura Herr finished second behind Petkova in the 3,000-meter event in a 10:56.43 time.
“This meet is always a competitive one, even though it was primarily Bethel and ourselves,” Clark said. “We’re pleased with the way our women are competing at this stage of the season, and we look forward to bigger meets upcoming.”
Goshen will next travel to NCAA powerhouse Purdue University for the Boilermaker Invite on Saturday.
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Sophomore Laura Harnish 