MORRIS, Minn. – In 2024, the Yellowjacket women's track and field team made history, winning the program's first-ever conference championship. Looking to defend their title, the Yellowjackets took to the track Friday, competing on day one of the 2025 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
The Yellowjacket women brought home one first place finish Friday and are within striking distance of the top of the leader board, accumulating 56 points through the first day of competition. The Yellowjackets trail first place Crown by eight points. They are seven points behind second place Northwestern.
 
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets was Hannah Hutton (Spooner, Wis./Spooner). The freshman from Spooner won the UMAC championship in the pole vault, clearing the bar at a height of 2.90 meters. She earned 10 points for the Yellowjackets in the event, besting teammate Kayela Putnam (Stephenson, Mich./Stephenson), who finished second, clearing a height of 2.75 meters.
 
Meet Notes

• Summer Hesseldahl (International Falls, Minn./Falls) earned a place in the 100-meter finals tomorrow after finishing third in the event preliminary. Hesseldahl set a new personal record with a time of 16.49 seconds.
• In the 800-meter run Simone Stephens (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) placed third, finishing with a time of 2:20.41.
• Lilley Smith (Ironwood, Mich./Ironwood) earned a top-five finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Smith placed fifth with a personal record time of 12:46.12.
• In the field events Sidney Bader (Milltown, Wis./Unity) earned a second-place finish in the javelin throw, hitting a mark of 36.25 meters. The mark is a new personal record.
• Hesseldahl had her second top three finish of the day in the long jump. Hesseldahl placed second with a jump of 5.06 meters, establishing a new personal record.
• The 4-x-800-meter relay team finished in second place with a time of 10:22.26. The team was made up of Taylor DeCook (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect), Scarlett Vanderscheuren (Saginaw, Minn./South Ridge), Cora Hudella (North Branch, Minn./North Branch) and Tea Boerner (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna).
• In total the Yellowjackets had 16 finishes in the top ten Friday.
• The Yellowjackets posted five personal records and two season bests on the first day of competition.

The Yellowjackets will be back in action Saturday on day two of the 2025 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Championships. Events are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Morris' Cougar Track.