Women's Cross Country 12/18/2018 9:56:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Cross Country/Track Signs Five For 2019-20

DETROIT – Wayne State University head cross country and women's track & field coach Grant Lofdahl is announcing the signing of five student-athletes for the fall of 2019.

Joining the Warrior cross country and track programs will be Katelyn Duffing (Traverse City, Mich. / St. Francis), Cameron Martella (Gaylord, Mich.), Katherine Ray (Novi, Mich.), Makenzie Wank (Richland, Mich. / Gull Lake), and Charlene Yarema (Romeo, Mich.).

Duffing will be a 2019 graduate of St. Francis High School in Traverse City. She will have earned eight letters (four in each cross country and track) for coach Julie Duffing (mother). Katelyn was a four-time All-State honoree and a member of the 2015 and 2016 MHSAA Division 3 State Champion squad. The SFHS cross country team won regionals all four seasons with Katelyn being the individual regional champion as a sophomore (18:30.8). Duffing helped SFHS to four straight conference titles and was the individual champion as a senior. She placed 12th at the 2018 MHSAA Division 3 state cross country meet in a time of 19:31.1, after finishing 19th (19:22.2) the year prior. Katelyn placed 11th as a sophomore at the MHSAA state cross country championships with a time of 19:23.1. Duffing was second at regionals (18:20.3) and fourth at the state championships as a freshman (18:35.2). She qualified for the state championships as a member of the 4x800 relay each of her first three seasons, including a state title as a freshman in a school record time of 9:23.95. Duffing was a three-time state qualifier for 3200m and two times for 1600m. Her top times include 11:23 (3200m), 5:17 (1600m) and 2:32 (800m). Duffing's top 5k time was 18:20 as a freshman. She was a three-year team captain in both cross country and track for the Gladiators. Duffing also competed in Girls U19 ice hockey for the Petoskey Piranhas, who finished second at the 2018 State Championships. Katelyn is a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Full name--Katelyn M. Duffing ... born July 19, 2001, in Traverse City ... daughter of Doug and Julie Duffing ... mom competed in both cross country and track at Saginaw Valley State ... has a younger brother, Gavin, and a younger sister, Rylee ... plans to major in Nursing.

Coach Lofdahl on Katelyn Duffing:
"Katelyn has been a standout runner since her freshman year at St. Francis. She was remarkably consistent, finishing in the top-20 all four year at the state finals, and helping lead her team to two state titles. She's a versatile athlete who doubles as a hockey goalie in the winter and runs the 300 hurdles in the spring in addition to distance races. She comes from an excellent program coached by her mom, Julie, and we feel that she will have a smooth transition to our training techniques."

Martella will graduate this May from Gaylord High School. She was a two-year cross country letterwinner for the Blue Devils and coaches Jeff Kalember and Matt Warren. Her best time for 5k was 20:07. Cameron served as a cross country team captain as a senior. She ran a 5:23 for 1600m. Martella also played soccer as a sophomore, and was a four-year selection to the (Academic) Honors Convocation.

Personal: Full name--Cameron A. Martella ... born March 18, 2001, in Gaylord ... daughter of Kathleen Martella and the late William Martella ... has an older sister, Carlie, who runs cross country and track at Michigan State ... plans to major in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Coach Lofdahl on Cameron Martella:
"We are excited about Cameron's potential when she gets to the collegiate level. She has a young training age as she started out as a soccer player before transitioning into being more of a full-time runner last season. She has good speed and will focus on middle distance for us, but she has a high ceiling on the cross country side of things too. Her older sister runs for Michigan State, so she comes from good bloodlines as a distance runner!"

Ray will graduate this spring from Novi High School, where she was a four-year varsity letterwinner for coach Marsha Reid. She ran a 19:09 at the 2018 MHSAA Division 1 state cross country meet, after placing eighth at the regional meet in a personal-best time of 18:43.3. Katherine finished the 2018 MITCA Team Michigan Mid East Qualifier in 20:00.5. She also competed at the MHSAA Division 1 state cross country meet in 2016 and 2017. Ray won five meets during her high school career and earned All-County and All-Region accolades all four years in cross country. She participated in the 1600m race at the MHSAA Regional track meet each of her first three years. Her top track times include 2:33.31 (800m), 5:17.8 (1600m), 11:39.04 (3200m) and 4-9 (high jump). Ray was a two-year team captain in both cross country and track & field.

Personal: Full name--Katherine E. Ray ... born December 12, 2000, in Southfield ... daughter of Tom and Kathe Ray ... has five brothers, Jason, Derek, Joe, Garrett and Yuri, and an older sister, Emma ... plans to major in Business or Sport Management

Coach Lofdahl on Katherine Ray:
"As a Division 1 runner in the toughest part of one of the toughest cross country states, Katherine is used to seeing great competition. When she joins us and has a group of fellow talented runners around her every day, the sky is the limit for her. She has speed, strength, and she's a tough racer who's not afraid to mix it up with the best. She already has her goals set high, and we are very optimistic about her future as a Warrior."

Wank will graduate this spring from Gull Lake High School, where she was a four-year cross country letterwinner for coach Randall Hunt. She ran a 20:26.9 at the MHSAA Division 1 Regional Meet as a senior and had a 2018 season-best time of 20:15 at the Lakeview Invitational. Makenzie ran a 19:38.9 at the 2017 MHSAA Division 1 state cross country meet. She helped her team to back-to-back district titles in 2017 and 2018. Wank finished the state final in 19:54.3 as a sophomore, and 19:00.8 in the Division 2 meet as a freshman. Makenzie earned All-District accolades all four years in cross country and received Academic All-State honors as a sophomore from the MITCA. She also played soccer for the Blue Devils her first three years of high school and will serve as soccer team captain this spring. Wank is the President of the National Honor Society and has been named to the Highest Honor Roll all four years.

Personal: Full name--Makenzie L. Wank ... born November 20, 2001, in Richland, Mich. ... daughter of Curt and Melissa Wank ... has an older sister, Josilynn, and a younger sister, Kendall ... plans to major in Biomedical Engineering (Pre-Med).

Makenzie Wank signing pix — Makenzie Wank

Coach Lofdahl on Makenzie Wank:
"Multi-sport athletes are always intriguing, and Makenzie has been a key player on the powerhouse Gull Lake soccer team for years. She's divided her energy between soccer and running and has still put up some very solid times, so we feel like transitioning to being a year-round runner will really bring out her ability. She also has a great attitude and is a fantastic student -- two things that will help her fit right in with our team."

Yarema will graduate this May from Romeo High School. She was a three-year cross country letterwinner for coach Mike Buslepp, a WSU All-GLIAC runner in 2003. Charlene helped the Bulldogs to three consecutive Macomb County Championships and earned All-Region, All-County and All-League honors as a senior. She ran a personal-best 18:54.5 for 5k and was a 2018 state qualifier after finishing 12th at the MHSAA Division 1 Regional meet. Yarema will be a four-year letterwinner in track and was a member of the 4x800m relay that won the 2018 county championship. She has personal-best times of 2:32 (800m), 5:34 (1600m) and 12:24 (3200m). Charlene served as a team captain in both sports and is a three-year academic all-county recipient as well as being a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Full name--Charlene E. Yarema ... born May 24, 2001, in Rochester Hills ... daughter of Gerald and Tania Yarema ... has two younger sisters, Audrey and Vivien ... is undecided on academic major.

Coach Lofdahl on Charlene Yarema:
"Charlene just has an outstanding attitude, and we knew from the time she took her unofficial visit that we wanted her in our program. She was one of the more improved runners in the state this fall, taking her PR from 20:50 to 18:54 in one season. That speaks to her work ethic and dedication, as well to the top-notch coaching she gets from Mike Buslepp at Romeo. We're looking forward to watching her continue to grow and improve over the next few years!"

The 2018 women's cross country squad placed fourth at the GLIAC Championships and sixth out of 29 schools at the NCAA Midwest Regionals, narrowly missing an at-large berth for the NCAA Championships.

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