Ferris State Track Teams Record 32 Top-Eight Performances At Season-Opening Alma Invitational

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's track and field teams officially opened the 2015 outdoor campaign on Friday (April 3) at the Alma College Charlie Gray Invitational and both squads came away with fourth-place team finishes at Bahlke Field in Alma, Mich.

The FSU women's team tallied 89 total points in the nine-team field while finishing highest of three competing Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member schools.

Meanwhile, the Bulldog men's squad totaled 87 points in the 10-team men's competition and placed ahead of NCAA Division I Central Michigan along with six other teams.

Overall, the Bulldog teams combined for five first-place meet performance and FSU had a total of 32 top-eight meet performances.

Senior Breeann Ovokaitys led the Bulldogs with a first-place effort in the 1,500 meters (4:42.40) while sophomore Samantha Humphrey took third (4:52.00) and senior Ashley Hamilton fourth (4:57.31) in the same race. Junior Emily Haynes was sixth (4:59.65) in the event.

Hamilton also placed third in the 800 meters (2:23.62) with Humphrey fifth (2:27.48) and Haynes sixth (2:28.38) in the same race.

Bulldog senior Briana Raasio won the discus with a top toss of 35.68 meters. Meanwhile, freshman Lindsay Greahling finished third (33.64m) and freshman Maycee Robinson came in fifth (31.70m) in the competition.

Sophomore Rachel Long won the hammer throw (41.37m) with Raasio taking second place (41.25m). Robinson wound up fifth (34.88m) in the hammer.

Raasio was a double-winner for the Bulldogs as she also claimed the javelin throw on the women's side with a top effort of 36.55m.

Bulldog freshman Josh Duggan placed third in the 400 meters (50.82) and was also fifth in the 200 meters (23.45). FSU's Ben Lentz recorded a fifth-place showing in the 800 meters (1:58.54) while junior Kyle Richardson was seventh in the 1,500 meters (4:05.73).

FSU freshman Connor Pilmore was fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:23.71), freshman Trevor Holowaty came in fifth in the 5,000 meters (15:46.06) and freshman Matt Crawford placed fifth in the 400 meter hurdles (59.76).

In the throws, FSU sophomore Ross Miller earned runner-up honors in the shot put (14.15m) with senior Ryan Stankey third (13.71m). Freshman Brett Allpow was third in the discus (42.88m) followed by freshman Noah Minasola in fifth place (38.32m) and Stankey sixth (37.54m).

The Bulldogs' Hayden Francisco, a sophomore, won the javelin (43.19m) while junior Austin Grant was second in the hammer throw (50.85m). Sophomore Tyler Satkowiak came in fifth in the hammer (46.79m) with Miller seventh (45.56m) and Allpow eighth (43.86m) in the event.

Ferris State also took fourth place in the men's 4x400-meter relay as the tandem of Duggan, sophomore Hunter Redman, Crawford and Lentz clocked 3:33.10 overall.

Ferris State will be back in action on Saturday, April 11, at the Hillsdale Invitational in Hillsdale, Mich.