Ferris State Track & Field Posts Three NCAA-Qualifying Marks At Mike Lints Laker Open

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's indoor track and field teams took part in the annual Mike Lints Laker Open hosted by Grand Valley State University late Friday (Jan. 17) night in Allendale, Mich.

The Bulldogs competed in the large event inside the Kelly Family Sports Center which included 830 athletes and more than 1,100 entries overall.

Per NCAA rules, the meet was scored and the Bulldog women's team tallied 28 points in placing sixth overall of 18 competing schools. The men's contingent of student-athletes picked up three points in the scoring competition. Host Grand Valley State captured both the men's and women's team titles with nearly 130 total points on each side.

Ferris State had a pair of NCAA Division II National Provisional Qualifying performances on the women's side in the mile run as junior Samantha Johnson clocked 4:54.70 in winning the race and senior Anna Rudd placed second in the same event with a 5:00.19 time. Both topped the provisional standard for the national meet.

In addition, senior Breeann Ovokaitys finished sixth in the field (5:07.58) with senior Alyssa Osika coming in eighth (5:12.18) as FSU totaled 22 points in the race.  Senior Jordan Best narrowly missed placing in the top eight with a ninth-place performance (5:15.48).

Osika also picked up three points in earning a sixth-place finish in the women's 800 meters (2:19.04).

Rudd missed placing in the women's 3,000 meters, but still managed to top the national provisional standard by clocking 10:02.78 in placing ninth overall.

Ferris State also took sixth place in the women's 4x400-meter relay (4:11.12).

On the men's side, FSU's Lucas Johnson came away with a seventh-place performance in the weight throw (53-5.50) while Malik Washington picked up a point by placing eighth in the 60-meter dash (7.08).

Senior David Silversmith took 11th place overall in the men's 3,000 meters (8:36.42) and Ferris State came up with an 11th-place effort in the men's 4x400-meter relay (3:36.35).

Ferris State is back in action on Jan. 31 at the Saginaw Valley State Cardinal Invitational to be held in University Center, Mich.