FSU Cross Country To Host Two Meets This Fall
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's cross country teams will host a pair of important events this fall at FSU's Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids.
The Bulldogs will first host their annual home meet, the Ray Helsing Bulldog Invitational, on Saturday, Sept. 10. This year's race has been moved up one week earlier than normal and will be ran on a Saturday morning beginning with high school action at 10 a.m. (ET). The collegiate men's and women's races will start at 11 a.m. (ET).
Additionally, the Bulldogs will also host the 2011 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Katke Golf Course.
The Ray Helsing Bulldog Invitational is named in honor of former coach Ray Helsing, who guided the Bulldog cross country along with track and field programs from 1968-82. Helsing was inducted into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001 and tutored more All-Americans than any coach in FSU history. He helped produce 20 All-Americans in cross country and track from 1968-82 and was best known for founding and coaching Ferris cross country, leading his teams to a 77-17 dual meet mark and four Great Lakes Conference titles.
This year (2011) will mark the 36th-straight (37th overall) running of the Bulldog Invitational and either a men's or women's collegiate event has been held each year since 1976.
Katke Golf Course, which opened in 1974, previously played host to the 2003 GLIAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships along with the 2005 NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championships and the 2006 Michigan Intercollegiate Championships in recent years. The Bulldogs also hosted the 2008 NCAA-II Midwest Regional Championships at Katke Golf Course.
A university-owned 18-hole golf course situated on the western flank of the Ferris State campus, Katke Golf Course serves as the host site of all home Bulldog cross country along with men's and women's golf events. The course is named after Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Katke, whose generous donation influenced campus development and the initial phase of the golf course. Katke, a friend of Ferris and a Mecosta County native, was vice president for manufacturing of the Ford Motor Company and a 1967 recipient of an honorary degree from FSU.
Visit this link below for registration information and etails on the Ray Helsing Bulldog Invitational. More information on the NCAA Regional Championships will be available later.
Bulldog Invitational Information