Ferris State's Samantha Johnson Tabbed GLIAC Track Athlete Of The Week

Big Rapids, Mich. - Senior distance runner Samantha Johnson (Troy) of the Ferris State University women's outdoor track and field squad has claimed the GLIAC's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honor following her weekend performance for the Bulldogs.

Johnson earned the distinction for the first time this season after recording a sixth-place finish in the championship section of the 1,500 meters at the Hillsdale "Gina" Relays, which were held Friday and Saturday (April 24-25) at the Ken Herrick Track on the Hillsdale campus.

The Bulldog senior clocked a NCAA Division II National Provisional Qualifying time of 4:28.54 in the race. The time presently ranks second this season in the GLIAC and among the top 13 in NCAA Division II this campaign to date.

Johnson was one of two Bulldog student-athletes to reach the national-qualifying standard in the event over the weekend as fellow senior Breeann Ovokaitys also surpassed the mark by being timed in 4:32.34 while finishing 10th in the same race of the 1,500 meters.

The large three-day meet annually ranks as one of the largest in the country with more than 1,000 athletes on hand. It included student-athletes from all levels of competition across the country.

Johnson and the Bulldogs will return to Hillsdale this week for the GLIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with the majority of the meet set for Thursday and Friday (April 30-May 1) in Hillsdale.

Earlier this year, Johnson received 2015 NCAA Division II Indoor Track All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in the mile run at the national meet on March 14 in Birmingham, Ala. 

A GLIAC Commissioner's Award winner for Excellence a year ago, Johnson was chosen as the 2013 United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region "Runner of the Year" and the 2013 GLIAC Cross Country "Athlete of the Year" for her efforts in cross country. She has been an all-conference pick multiple times and a multiple-time GLIAC All-Academic Team selection in her career.

In her final season of cross country in the fall of 2013, Johnson won three cross country races, including the GLIAC and NCAA Midwest Regional titles while also winning the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational. She qualified individually for the NCAA Division II Championships where she placed fifth in the country and claimed All-America kudos. The veteran four-year letterwinner helped Ferris State to be ranked as one of the region's top 10 squads throughout her collegiate career and ranked nationally multiple times.

For her performance last year in 2013-14, Johnson was also chosen as a 2014 Capital One Academic All-America selection.