Strong Showing For Ferris State Track Squads At Final Tune-Up Prior To GLIAC Championships

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's outdoor track and field squad competed for the final time prior to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships with another strong weekend of action at the Grand Valley State Invitational in Allendale.

The two-day event ran Friday evening and Saturday afternoon as the Lakers hosted the extra weekend meet, which served as a final tune-up prior to next week's GLIAC meet set to be hosted by Davenport University in Caledonia.

Overall, Ferris State had three individual event champions with a total of 47 finishes among the top 10 overall in addition to a NCAA Division II National Provisional qualifying mark and a pair of school records.

Ferris State's Claudia Wilkinson won the high jump (1.61m) with Amanda Eslinger second (1.56m). Brianna Copley was the runner-up in the shot put invitational section on Saturday (14.72m) while Kennedy Riebschleger was second in the shot put open division (10.85m).

Copley also broke her own school record in placing third in the invite-only section of the discus throw (49.40m) on Friday night. On Saturday, in the open section, Isabel Dziadzio took fifth place (31.05m), Brooklynn Federspiel was sixth (27.35m) and Riebschleger placed eighth (25.90m) in the event.

Riebschleger won the hammer throw on Saturday with a toss of 39.59 meters while Federspiel placed third (37.00m). Morgan Beckman finished fifth (33.54m) and Natalie Beckman was sixth (32.77m) with Dziadzio eighth (29.98m). FSU's Emma Stephayn competed in the invite-only section of the hammer throw on Friday and came in sixth (48.01m). Riebschleger also finished third in the javelin (30.95m).

FSU's Allyson Faulkner was third in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.21) while Wilkinson placed seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (16.04). Meanwhile, Katelyn Hutchinson came in fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:09.36).

Makayla Roberts tallied the fifth-best time in the 400 meters (1:03.53) and the ninth-best time in the 200 meters (28.05) while Madison Hammer had the seventh-fastest time in the 200 meters (27.87). The Bulldogs' Megan Dopheide placed seventh overall in the 800 meters (2:34.03) with Katrina Droski 10th (2:41.17).

Ferris State's Hanna Brock took 10th place in the 1,500 meters (5:24.42).

The Bulldogs' 4x400-meter relay squad of Faulkner, Kylie Hutchinson, Wilkinson and Carissa Schurr finished third (4:28.85).

FSU's Brett Robertson took second place in the 400 meters (51.37) with Ben Menapace fourth (52.15). Brendan Deneen was seventh in the 800 meters (2:05.08) and Lukas Sawusch was eighth overall in the 100 meters (11.36). Harrison Hayes came in fourth in the long jump (4.54m) and was also seventh in the 110-meter hurdles (18.96).

In the open 1,500 meters, Ethan Hamilton placed fifth (4:13.36) while Dan Hardesty was seventh (4:19.02) and Brandon Wirth took 10th place (4:21.58). Aaron Jarema placed ninth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:26.59).

FSU's Donis Harris also set a NCAA Division II National Provisional qualifying time in the 5,000 meters (14;27.72) for the Bulldogs in placing 33rd overall. He also set a new school record in the event with the performance.

The Bulldogs had a strong contingent in the shot put where Forrest Akers placed third (13.63m) followed by Jake Zammitta in fourth place (13.36m), Kyle Droulliard in fifth place (13.28m) and Trevor Roznowski in sixth place (13.11m). Droulliard was sixth in the discus (41.02m) and Roznowski also placed ninth overall in the invite-only section of the discus (44.21m) on Friday night.

Roznowski won the hammer throw (49.42m) with Nathan Nowik garnering runner-up honors (45.97m). Droulliard was sixth in the same event (41.09m) with Zammitta seventh (35.79m).

Finally, Jason Keena took fourth place in the javelin (46.38m) and Travis Feldpaush was fifth (40.10m).

The Bulldogs will compete in the GLIAC Outdoor Championships slated for Thursday and Friday (May 6-7) in Caledonia.