On May 1-2 Baker traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to compete in the Heart of America Conference Championships hosted by Mount Mercy. 

14 teams, including Baker, competed in this year’s conference championships. Last year Baker’s men’s team got ninth out of twelve teams, and the women’s team got eighth out of twelve teams. This year the men’s team thirteenth out of fourteen teams with a total of nine points. The women’s team got twelfth out of fourteen with a total of 21.75 points. 

Throughout the regular outdoor track season, athletes have a chance to qualify for conference. They take the top 24 times, distances and heights from each event.

This year 33 Baker athletes competed at conference. With two of these athletes earning medals and placing in the top three. 

The first medal was earned by two-time national qualifier Julie Coffey, who threw 40.46 meters in javelin and placed third in the event. Coffey also placed eighth in shot put and got a personal record throw of 11.90 meters.  

Julie Coffey is the only Baker athlete who qualified for nationals this season. She will be competing in Asheville, N.C. on May 21 for outdoor nationals.

While Coffey was the only Baker athlete to qualify for nationals, anyone that competes for a school can qualify if they hit a certain mark or time.

The second athlete to medal at conference this year was Haylei Potter, who placed second in pole vault. Potter also competed in the 4×100 meter relay and the 4×400 meter relay.

Another group that had a great performance at conference was the Baker 4×800 meter relay team. This team consisted of Jacob McGlasson, Luke Persson, Micah Sanders and Cutter Meade. Previously in this year’s indoor season, the relay team earned the new school record time. At this year’s conference, they went on to break the outdoor 4×800 meter school record with a time of 7:50.51.

The 4×800 was just one personal best for Baker, in total there were 17 personal best marks or times and six season best marks or times.