For the first time in eight years, Ferris State University will host the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships for men’s and women’s cross country. The event is set to take place on Saturday, October 26, at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Michigan. This marks only the second occasion in 21 years that the university has hosted this annual league event.
Eleven league institutions are expected to participate. The men’s 8K race will start at 11 a.m., followed by the women’s 6K run at approximately 11:45 a.m. An awards ceremony is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Admission to the championships is free, with races beginning and ending on the course’s 18th hole behind the clubhouse. A live pay-per-view stream of the event will be available via FloSports.
Katke Golf Course, owned by Ferris State University, serves as a venue for all home cross country events and golf competitions for both men and women teams. Named after Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Katke due to their generous contributions, the course has been an integral part of campus development since it opened in 1974.
In its history, Katke Golf Course has hosted several significant events including the GLIAC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships in 2003 and 2016, as well as various NCAA-II regional championships over the years.
The Bulldogs’ men’s team will compete in their 54th annual league championship while this year marks the women’s team’s participation for the 36th consecutive year. Both teams are coached by Jared Kelsh, a former standout athlete from Ferris State now serving his tenth season leading these squads.
This competition will be their final meet before they proceed to compete at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championships on November 9 in Romeoville, Illinois.
Further details about this year’s GLIAC Championships can be found online through official channels.
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