As we put a cap on an exciting 2019-20 athletic season that has seen its ups and downs, BethelRoyals.com continues its countdown of the Top 10 stories from the year. Check out which story came in as No. 5 on our list below!
The Bethel University women's indoor track & field season abruptly ended at the national championship due to COVID-19, but that didn't take away from an incredible year for the Royals.
Bethel
matched their best finish at the conference meet placing second with 91 points. It elevated the Royals to finish 19th nationally in the final USTFCCCA polls.
The women's squad earned six All-American awards after the USTFCCCA and the Division III Executive Committee chose to award All-American honors to all national qualifying performers who initially declared for the NCAA Indoor National Championships. Qualifying was the 4x400m relay squad,
Delia Labatt in the 400m and
Kelsie Sealock in the 60m hurdles.
The 4x400m relay team dominated the season as
Hannah Sankey,
Corin McKinstrey,
Mikayla Turek and Labatt
led the nation with their time of 3:51.81 going into the final weekend of regular season competition in which they chose to rest. Their time seeded them 3rd going into the national championships where the BU 4x4 team made its third straight appearance.
In addition to national qualifying performances the Royals
had 13 indoor top-10 performances.
Freshmen were a top spotlight this season where
Jessica Lilland recorded a school record clearance of 10'11.75"/3.35m in the pole vault during her first attempt at the conference meet where she finished runner-up. Sealock dominated from the start breaking the program's 60m hurdles record running a 9.02 in her first colligate meet. She finished the year with a MIAC crown in a time of 8.78, the sixth fastest time in DIII this season.
Top 10 Stories of 2019-20
#10 Men's Hockey Records Best Winning Percentage in Seven Season
#9 Ezekiel Lelinga Competes in Cross Country National Meet
#8 Football Finishes Season in the Top 25
#7 Women's Soccer Wins First-Ever MIAC Playoff Game in Overtime
#6 Grace & Maggie Riermann Become Two-Time All-Americans
