BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In a dominant performance, sophomore Cheyenne Williamson accomplished a feat not seen at Saginaw Valley State University in three decades, a women's indoor NCAA National Championship.
Williamson posted the fifth-best performance in the history of the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships Women's Pentathlon, breaking her own SVSU school record with a total of 4,113 points on Thursday at the Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.
The national championship is the first for SVSU since Lauren Huebner won the outdoor heptathlon for the women in 2019 and the first women's indoor title since Sue Breternitz claimed the shot put in 1991.
The Essexville, Mich., native won two of the four events while placing third in two more. She started the competition, sprinting past the competition and crossing the line in 8.44 seconds (1,030 points) in the 60-meter hurdles. After taking fifth in the high jump with a best of 1.67m (818 points), Williamson earned third in the shot put with a best throw of 11.20m (608 points).
Williamson took control of the event with another first-place performance, winning the long jump with a best of 6.06m (868 points) and closed out the victory with a time of 2:22.56 (789 points) in the 1,000-meter run.
Also competing for SVSU on day one of the National Championships was Ali Aldrich in the women's weight throw. She finished 10th for the Cardinals with a best throw of 17.94m.
The 2021 NCAA DII Indoor National Championships continue with day two on Friday in Birmingham, Ala.