Ohio

In January, Schaaffe ran 1:30.99 to win at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational at the University of Iowa. The time was a top-six all-time performance for UM.

She declared then that she was targeting a time below 1:30 at the Big 10 championships but not even she could have predicted how far below she would have gone.

After posting a time of 1:30.05 in the preliminaries on Thursday, the second-fastest time of the round behind the 1:29.21 set by her teammate Val Larson, Schaaffe floored it in the finals on Saturday to win in 1:27.96.

“I was amazed that I went in with the second-fastest time from the prelims and have pulled off such a big personal best, which makes me fourth in my school history,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

“I had no idea I would ever run that fast. I was looking at a 1:28-low but my coach back home predicted that I was going to run that time so he was not surprised, I guess.”

Larson finished second in 1:28.67 with Claire Pitcher of Iowa in 1:29.96.

She would team up with Jayla Campbell, Janielle Josephs and Larson to win the 4x400m relay in 3:35.51. Iowa copped silver in 3:37.92 while Purdue was third in 3:39.51.

Schaaffe ran the anchor in 52.5, her fastest ever relay split.

“It was great. I didn’t even know that I ran that fast because it was like an hour after the 600,” she said.

At the NCAA National Championships, Schaaffe will only run the 4x400 relay and is looking forward to an event switch when she goes outdoors later this year.

“I have always been interested in the 400m hurdles because that is one of my events, too, but I would take on the 400m any day,” she said. “But I’m thinking the 400mh outdoors that is what I really want to do.”

Earlier, Rikkoi Brathwaite of the British Virgin Islands won the 60m dash in 6.55. Waseem Williams of Purdue was second in 6.66, the same time as his teammate Marcellus Moore.

The 38-year-old Stewart takes the position as head coach, a year after signing with Buena Vista as an assistant coach for their Track & Field/Cross Country programs.

“I am elated to join this dynamic and evolving team that’s invested in developing and inspiring young men and women. I can’t wait to start this new position and contribute my wealth of experience and knowledge to growing and developing our student-athletes,” said Stewart, who won a silver in the 100m behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

 “With any new position, I know there will be challenges, but I am ready and committed.”

Stewart, who won a silver medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m team at the London 2012 Games, will be working with Coach Tim Mack as well as SPIRE’s Director of Track & Field Kibwe Johnson.

"I am thrilled to have Kerron join our coaching staff at SPIRE,” Mack said of Stewart’s appointment. “She brings a ton of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to our track & field program.”

Meanwhile, Johnson said Stewart completes the ‘Dream Team’  coaching staff at SPIRE.

"I'm incredibly humbled to be able to add a coach with the vast wealth of knowledge and experience that Kerron will bring to the student-athletes of the SPIRE Track & Field program,” Johnson said.

“It's one thing to be a coach with vast personal experience. It's quite another to also align with the principles of leadership and teaching that I expect from this coaching staff. We're happy to have her.”