MISHAWAKA — The quartet of Emma Walter, Lila Van Hoveln, Isis Robbins and Jaidyn Kimbrough were all exceptional at the 27th annual edition of the Lady Kingsmen Track and Field Invitational Saturday, April 25.
Adriana Swanson was, well, Adriana Swanson, which means elite at the 13-team invite hosted under ideal conditions on Freed Field at Penn High School.
The host Kingsmen, led by a pair of wins by distance star Van Hoveln, claimed the team title with 108 points. Valparaiso, buoyed by wins in all three relay events, was runner-up with 101 points. Elkhart was third with 78 points.
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Swanson, a state champion in 2025, simply dominated the field in the 100-meter hurdles. The South Bend Washington senior and Indiana University commit won in a time of 13.97 after going 14.36 in the prelims. Plymouth's Jersey Hunter was second in 15.35.
Swanson won her state title in the 100 hurdles in a time of 13.83 last June at North Central High School in Indianapolis.
The goal Saturday for Swanson, according to coach/father Adrian, was to go under 14 seconds. It was smiles all around for the Swansons when the time was officially announced. Coach Swanson even commented that the stellar showing earned his dedicated daughter a day off from her rigid training.
For Walter, a Fairfield High School junior, the wait was well worth it Saturday. The finalists for the 100-meter dash had to wait for at least 15 minutes at the starting line due to an issue with the timing system.
Walter, when the wait was over, simply dominated the strong field of sprinters with a win in 12.01. Her top time broke the invite record of 12.13 set by Amber McGee of Fort Wayne Northrop in 2014.
"Actually, the delay helped me calm down for the race," said Walter, who was the top seed in her specialty with a time of 12.20. "I've struggled with anxiety in the past before races where I was so on edge. This season has been so much better with that, and it's really helped my performance.
"Now, I just pray and give it to Jesus. He gets me through it all and I get all of my strength from Him. My goal today was to just win my race and to PR. I'm really proud of myself for getting the record today. I've come a long way since my freshman year."
Walter's previous top time in the 100 was a 12.18. She clocked in at 12.27 in the prelims Saturday.
Van Hoveln is used to being at the top of the list of stars in distance events for the Kingsmen. The junior, who helped the Penn cross country team to a fifth-place finish by placing eighth overall individually at the IHSAA Cross County State Finals last November in Terre Haute, won both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races, which she was the top seed for, in impressive fashion.
"Today my mindset was to run for me and to just have a good time versus some good competition here," Van Hoveln said. "I tend sometimes to worry too much about my placement.
"I know that I can run faster than today, but it's about being patient and peaking at the right time for the postseason meets. I'm proud of where I'm at right now. And I'm really excited and looking forward to the tournament. I know that I can improve my time and my big goal is to place at State."
There may have been no one happier Saturday than Robbins. The Elkhart High School sophomore jumped a couple of feet off the ground and let out a loud roar when they announced her winning time of 46.63 in the 300-meter hurdles race.
"This means a lot to me," said Robbins. "I got first and also had a personal best time. I wanted to PR today and I did it in the 300 and I also did it twice in the 100 hurdles. I'm very proud of myself.
"I usually get very nervous, but my coach has helped me a lot with that. Now I can go back and look at these races today and see what I can work on and try to get better."
Robbins transferred to Elkhart from South Bend Washington. She qualified for the State Finals in the 100 hurdles as a freshman in 2025. Robbins, who also plays basketball and volleyball, was also third in the 100 hurdles and second in the high jump Saturday.