Huge Weekend For Bulldog Track Teams At Two Meets With 55 Top-10 Event Efforts

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's outdoor track and field squads had another big weekend of action at two different competitions.

The Bulldogs sent a selected number of student-athletes to the 54th annual Hillsdale "Gina" Relays that ran Thursday thru Sunday (April 22-24) with the bulk of the squad taking part in the Davenport Invitational in Caledonia.

Overall, the Bulldogs had six first-place finishes with an NCAA Division II National Provisional qualifying mark, a school record, several all-time top five bests in Bulldog history and some personal-bests over the course of the weekend.

In all, Ferris State combined for a total of 55 top 10 event performances in men's and women's action at the two meets.

In action at Hillsdale on the men's side, Donis Harris placed seventh overall in the 5,000 meter championship finals (14:40.15) while notching a big personal best to move to #3 all-time on the school list. Weston Rackley came in seventh in the 10,000 meter open finals (31:42.92). 

Aaron Jarema finished eighth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:25.36) while moving to #4 on the school's all-time list and Brandon Wirth placed 18th (9:51.83) while running a 10-second personal-best.

On the women's side at Hillsdale, Kylie Hutchinson placed 21st in the 5,000 meter open finals (18:20.41) with Hannah Loucks 23rd in the event (18:23.08) as both ran season-bests. Sydney Kubiak came in 33rd (18:42.07) and registered a personal-best. 

Katelyn Hutchinson was 24th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:40.07) and her time was the second-fastest in school history.

In Saturday's men's action at Davenport, Brett Robertson won the 400-meter hurdles (52.58) while reaching the NCAA Division II National Provisional qualification mark. 

The Bulldogs also won the 4x400-meter relay as Ben Menapace, Brendan Deneen, Ethan Hamilton and Robertson clocked 3:27.55 in finishing first.

Hamilton was the runner-up in the 1,500 meters (4:15.62) and Jason Keena took second place in the javelin (159-1). Menapace placed third in the 400 meters (51.17). Dan Hardesty took fourth place in the 1,500 meters (4:16.74) with Andrew Yaworski sixth (4:21.53) and Casey Bouman eighth (4:26.11).

The Bulldogs had four individuals place among the top seven in the 800 meters with Deneen fourth (2:04.21) followed by Hardesty in fifth (2:08.71), Bouman sixth (2:10.88) and David Jaimes seventh (2:10.97). 

Harrison Hayes came in seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (18.46). Nathan Padilla placed ninth in the 100 meters (12.42) and the 200 meters (25.69) while Ryan Kachnowski was ninth in the 1,500 meters (4:27.55).

In the throwing events, Kyle Droulliard placed sixth in the shot put (44-0) with Trevor Roznowski seventh (43-11.75) in the event and Jake Zammitta eighth (41-1.50). Roznowski was also sixth in the discus (132-4) with Droulliard seventh (129-2) and Forrest Akers eighth (125-2).

Meanwhile, in the hammer throw, Roznowski came in sixth (153-2) followed by Nathan Nowik in seventh place (149-0) and Droulliard eighth (140-11). Travis Feldpaush placed sixth in the javelin (118-1).

FSU's 4x100-meter relay team of Lukas Sawusch, Menapace, Padilla and Robertson earned runner-up honors (44.14).

On the women's side on Saturday at Davenport, the Bulldogs' Brianna Copley emerged victorious in winning the shot put (48-9.50) and the discus (153-5). She set a new school record in the shot put at the meet.

Carissa Schurr won the 1,500 meters (4:56.04) and Claudia Wilkinson won the high jump (5-3.25). Allyson Faulkner took third place in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.88) and Wilkinson placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.07). Amanda Eslinger tied for fourth in the high jump (4-11.50).

The Bulldogs' Hanna Brock was seventh in the 1,500 meters (5:12.39) followed by Lauren Sinnaeve in eighth place (5:12.89) and Amelia Topolinski ninth (5:19.62).

FSU's Makayla Roberts was fifth in the 400 meters (1:04.27) and Madison Hammer placed ninth in the 200 meters (28.09).

Along with Copley's performances, in the throwing events, Ferris State's Emma Stephayn was the runner-up in the discus (125-10) and the hammer throw (163-8). Kennedy Riebschleger placed third in the javelin (116-8) and also took fourth place in the shot put (36-10.50) and the hammer (128-4). Morgan Beckman came in sixth in the discus (94-11) with Isabel Dziadzio seventh (93-9) and Natalie Beckman ninth (90-11). 

Meanwhile, Brooklyn Federspiel placed seventh in the hammer (117-10) followed by Morgan Beckman (114-10), Dziadzio (105-0) and Natalie Beckman (96-2) in the top 10 overall.

The Bulldogs' 4x400-meter relay squad of Faulkner, Kylie Hutchinson, Wilkinson and Schurr finished third overall (4:18.53).

Ferris State will be back in action at the Grand Valley State Invite on April 30-May 1 in Allendale, Mich.