Friday, November 18th, 2022
Lutz to throw at Hillsdale
By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Gary R. Rasberry/The Daily Standard
Celina's Amelia Lutz, seated center, will attend Hillsdale College and compete in track and field for the Chargers. Seated with Amelia are her parents, Paula and Travis Lutz. Standing from left are Celina throwing coach Dave Hucke, head track and field coach Eric Wagner and athletic director Derek Wenning.
CELINA - Amelia Lutz has already shown herself as one of the top throwers in Celina track and field history.
Now, the Bulldog senior will get a chance to move to the next stage after signing a national letter of intent to compete at NCAA Division II Hillsdale College.
Lutz, a three-sport athlete, chose the Michigan-based college based on a trip for a summer track camp, when she fell in love with the campus.
"It really got me. The community is awesome," said Lutz, who will major in exercise physiology with a pre-health program. "I felt like part of the family immediately. That helped my influence."
The Chargers, competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, are in the process of building up their track and field facilities, with a new indoor facility and an outdoor track upgrade in the offing. Hillsdale finished second in the indoor championships before winning the outdoor championships in the spring.
Lutz plans to compete in all the throwing events, including taking up hammer throw, which isn't in high school events.
"Their program is known for being one of the best in (the G-MAC)," said Lutz. "I think improving the facilities is a great way to (continue the success)."
Lutz now gets to concentrate on a 2023 track and field season where she looks to cap off a successful career for the Bulldogs.
"It takes a lot of stress off knowing I'm officially going somewhere," said Lutz. "That will really help me in the spring."
Lutz is the two-time defending Western Buckeye League champion in the shot put and finished second and third, respectively, the past two years in the league discus competition. Lutz earned two All-Ohio honors last season at the state Division II track and field championships, finishing fourth in the discus and seventh in the shot put. In 2021, Lutz was 12th in the shot and 10th in the discus.
"I'm going to bring the effort and determination my coaches have given me," said Lutz. "The support is really going to help me develop my knowledge in academics, too."
