An exciting future.

That is what is in store for Columbia College freshman Gracie Schultz after helping the Lady Cougars win their first American Midwest Conference (AMC) title in women’s outdoor track and field this past spring.

Nearly a year removed from winning a state championship in the Class 2 Girls Long Jump at the 2021 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Track and Field Championships in Jefferson City, Schultz scored in four of her five events during the AMC Outdoor Track and Field meet held during the first weekend in May at Missouri Baptist University (MBU) in St. Louis.

Columbia College won the women’s 4x100-meter relay in a time of 49.69 with Makenzie Schwartz, Madeline Burton, Lily Ashrafzadeh and Schultz sprinting their way to AMC gold.

Schultz was not done scoring team points for the Lady Cougars.

She leaped her way to sixth-place finishes in both the long jump (4.99 meters) and triple jump (9.86m).

Gracie recorded her sixth-place leap in the long jump on her third attempts while posting her best mark in the triple jump on her sixth and final attempt.

Also successful in sprint events while at Belle, Schultz scored points for the Lady Cougars at the AMC meet with a sixth-place time of 13.19 in the women’s 100-meter dash.

This was after she ran a time of 13.04 in the preliminaries giving herself the eighth-fastest time going into the finals.

Nearly scoring in a fifth event in St. Louis, Schultz ran a season-best 27.88 in the women’s 200-meter dash placing her ninth overall and five one-hundredths of a second out of the finals.

“For only being a freshman, she always performed really well in pressure situations and big races,” Columbia College interim head track and field coach Daniel Radkowiec said. “She always has a great attitude and comes ready to train everyday. The future is very exciting for Gracie in track and field.”

Scoring nine points between the 100m dash, long jump and triple jump, Schultz helped the Lady Cougars top the field with 257 points.

“My first year of college track was definitely a learning experience and helped me grow in ways that I did not even know I needed,” Schultz said.

Columbia College finished ahead of William Woods University (189), Hannibal-LaGrange University (106), Williams Baptist University (103), Missouri Baptist University (92), Central Baptist College (27), University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (18) and Lyon College (17).

“It was special getting to compete for the AMC Title with all the girls and it was even more special that we won alongside the boys,” Schultz said.

Not only did Schultz help the Lady Cougars claim the AMC Outdoor Track and Field team title, she also helped Columbia College win the AMC Indoor Track and Field team title back in February in Elsah, Ill., on the campus of Principia College.

In place of the traditional 100m dash outdoors, indoor track athletes compete in the 60m dash.

Schultz raced to a time in the preliminaries at the AMC Indoor Track and Field Championships of 8.35 giving her the sixth-fastest mark in the finals after placing second in the third of three heats.

In the finals, Schultz finished seventh in a time of 9.49 securing two team points for the Lady Cougars.

In field events during the indoor meet, Schultz placed fifth in the women’s long jump with a mark of 4.90m on her second of six attempts.

Placing sixth in the triple jump, Schultz recorded a distance of 9.74m on her third attempt.

Topping the field by nearly 100 points, Columbia College’s Lady Cougars finished with 239 points to also claim the AMC Women’s Indoor Track and Field title finishing ahead of William Wood University (151), Missouri Baptist University (125), Hannibal-LaGrange University (67), Williams Baptist University (55), University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (51), Lyon College (22) and Central Baptist College (20).