April 21, 2025

Ferris State track and field teams break two university records in Al Owens Classic meet

Ferris State track and field athletes achieve records — Ferris State track and field's Whitney Farrell is pictured here. She earned runner-up honors with a school-record performance and NCAA D2 qualifying time in the 3,000 steeplechase, with a time of 10:48.79.

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. —

The Ferris State University men's and women's outdoor track and field squads had a record-breaking weekend as the Bulldogs competed at the annual Al Owens Classic hosted by Grand Valley State in Allendale.

The Bulldogs finished the weekend with two school records to go along with a NCAA Division II National Provisional Qualifying performance and 11 all-time top 10 program showings in the event. Ferris State had 25 top-eight meet finishes on the weekend.

Ferris State's Whitney Farrell earned runner-up honors with a school-record performance and NCAA D2 qualifying time in the 3,000 steeplechase, with a time of 10:48.79.

The Bulldogs' 4x100-meter relay team of Lacey Zimmerman, Angela Kotecki, Abby Winkle and Allie Delost also set a school record and placed third in the event with a time of 47.78.

The 4x400-meter relay squad consisting of Winkle, Englund, Kendra Montague and Darnesha Fraley finished second with a time of 4:00.15 with the group of Nyah Tyron, Oliviah Malloy, Frances Hoffman and Tiffany DeMaio coming in fourth at 4:12.24. The first group's time ranks as the fourth-best all-time in Bulldog history.

Winkle took fourth place overall in the 400 meters, 57.64, for the Bulldogs, recording the eighth-best school all-time performance. Delost came in fifth in the 100 meters, 12.49, while Fraley was fifth in the 200 meters, 25.93.

Tyron came in fourth in the 400 hurdles, 1:05.70, and Lizzie Haines took sixth place in the 100 hurdles, 15.74, with the program's ninth-best time ever in the event. Angela Kotecki finished sixth in the long jump, 17-6, while Montague placed seventh in the 400 meters, 1:00.04. Rebecca Marvin placed seventh in the shot put, 37-10.5, with Maddy Biller eighth, 36-3.5, in the event. Hoffman finished eighth in the 100 hurdles, 16.24, and Marvin was also eighth in the discus, 123-10.

In the men's competition, Hunter Richardson won the discus, 148-10, and earned runner-up honors in the shot put, 45-7. His throw in the discus ranks 10th in Bulldog history.

Ferris State’s 4x100-meter relay team of Blaine Rogers, Ignatius Jackson, Bryson Fronta and Charlie Sutton earned a third-place finish with a time of 3:27.41. Hayden Josef placed third in the high jump, 6-3.25.

The Bulldogs' 4x400-meter relay squad of Dean Topolski, Lucas Vandam, Josh Langland and Tyrese Beedle finished sixth, 3:27.41, and turned in the 10th-best time in program history.

Fronta was sixth in the 100 meters for the Bulldogs, 10.72, notching the fifth-best Ferris State time ever, and Rogers took seventh in the 110 hurdles, 15.59. Charlie Nickels was seventh in the high jump, 6-1.25, with Aaron Pierce seventh in the long jump, 22-5.25, and Brady Zarb seventh in the shot put, 43-2.25.

Cooper Sorsen finished ninth in the 1,500 meters and also posted the eighth-best showing in program history at 3:54.48 with Josh Langeland notching the eight-best effort ever for the Bulldogs in the 400 meters, 49.94, while coming in ninth. Topolski notched the ninth-best FSU time ever in the 400 meters, 50.16, placing 11th overall.

Ferris State will return to action for the GVSU Extra Weekend Meet on April 26 and again for the GLIAC Championships set for April 30-May 2 in Allendale.