Simmers ends career at NCAAs (Track)
Dartmouth College senior Malina Simmers of Anchorage fulfilled a dream by competing in the NCAA Championships, and although she didn’t qualify for the finals she did finish her college career as the best triple jumper in school history.
She placed 40th with a jump of 11.99 meters (39-4 feet) on her second of three jumps during East Regional action in Bloomington, Ind. The top 12 advance to the finals; the 12th qualifier did 41-2½.
Simmers, of ACS fame, came into the national meet with the 33rd-best qualifying mark at 12.58 meters, which ranks No. 1 in Dartmouth history.
Not bad for an athlete who didn’t focus on track at an early age.
“I only did track in high school to stay in shape for volleyball,” she told the Ivy League school’s website.
Now that her college track career is finished, she can concentrate on the next chapter of her life.
“I plan to go to graduate school for architecture and hopefully open my own business,” Simmers said.