The Ferris State University track and field teams opened their outdoor campaign with strong showings at two separate meets over the weekend. The Bulldogs participated in the Washington University Distance Festival and the Redbird Challenge hosted by Illinois State University.
One of the standout performances came from Whitney Farrell, who placed 17th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:57.68, earning a NCAA Division II National Provisional qualifying time. On the men’s side, Cooper Sorsen set a school record in the 5,000 meters, finishing 15th with a time of 14:19.96.
At the Redbird Challenge, Nyah Tyron led the Bulldog women’s team, placing fifth in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:07.24. Frances Hoffman and Lizzie Haines also competed, finishing seventh in the 100 hurdles and ninth in the 400 hurdles respectively. FSU’s 4×400-meter relay team, consisting of Abby Winkle, Kendra Montague, Oliviah Malloy, and Tyron, placed fifth with a time of 4:09.94.
In field events, Alexis Le secured a seventh-place finish in the high jump, recording a height of 1.55 meters—the ninth-best in Ferris State history. Rebecca Marvin and Maddy Biller also competed in throwing events, with Marvin finishing 14th in the shot put and 15th in the discus.
In the men’s section of the Redbird Challenge, Bryson Fronta placed second in the 100 meters with a time of 10.82, while Charlie Sutton finished fourth and Ignatius Jackson sixth. The 4×400-meter relay team, made up of Dean Topolski, Jared Watchorn, Josh Langeland, and Luke Berney, finished in second place with a time of 3:26.27, marking the eighth-best time in school history.
Additional noteworthy performances included Aaron Pierce, who finished third in the long jump, and Devin Dennison, who won the hammer throw with the sixth-best throw in program history. Hunter Richardson, Noah Jones, and several others also contributed with top finishes in various events.
The Bulldogs will next participate in the Golden Grizzly Invite hosted by Oakland University on April 5.
