The 2021-22 WSU Women's Track and Field Squad.

Women's Track & Field 12/3/2021 9:00:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track To Begin Season On Saturday

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's indoor track and field squad will begin its 2021-22 campaign this Saturday at the Saginaw Valley State Holiday Open.

"The upcoming season holds a lot of promise for our track squad," stated fifth-year head coach Grant Lofdahl. "They've put in a lot of work since September, and we are psyched to finally see them in action this Saturday. We have a very solid group of returning jumpers, throwers, hurdlers, and runners who know what it takes to compete in the GLIAC, and a deep and talented freshmen class with tremendous potential."

The Warriors have 21 returning letterwinners, including six three-year letterwinners to lead the squad. The three-year letterwinner group consists of senior Yasmine Affes (Northville, Mich.), along with seniors Ashley Defrain (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern), Kaleigh Flowers (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Kentwood), Aliyah McDonald (Kingston, Jamaica), Izzy Taylor (Three Rivers, Mich.) and Chloe Wandell (Muir, Mich. / Ionia).

A large 16-member contingent of newcomers will look to help the Warriors improve on their fourth-place finish at the 2021 GLIAC Indoor Championships.

"Mikayla Williams will be our leader in the jumps, and she's primed for another season of big improvements," added Lofdahl. "Makayla Sumrall is looking to lead our sprint crew and continue to build on her outstanding sophomore campaign, while Aliyah McDonald and Abby Dunn will lead an extremely deep group of hurdlers. Kaleigh Flowers and Izzy Taylor bring a lot of experience to the throws crew, and on the distance side Charlene Yarema and Thailyia Christensen look to pick up where they left off after a great spring and a successful cross country season."

Below is a group-by-group preview with student-athletes listed alphabetically.

SPRINTS/HURDLES/JUMPS
Affes returns for her fourth year. She scored in two events at last year's GLIAC Indoor Championships placing seventh in the finals of the 400m dash (1:01.02) and was a member of the fifth-place 4x400m relay.

Freshman Sierra Baltzer (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich S.S.) placed second in the 300m hurdles (44.65) and fourth in the 80m hurdles (11.82) at the 2019 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Provincial Championships.

Sophomore Abigail Dunn (Northville, Mich.) ran anchor on the fifth-place 4x400m relay at the 2021 GLIAC Indoor Championships, while also competing in the 400m dash.

Freshman Renae Kutcha (Jackson, Mich. / Lumen Christi) was a two-time MHSAA Division 3 state champion in the 400m race.

McDonald finished second at the 2021 GLIAC Championships in the 60m hurdles (8.79) and placed sixth in the 200m dash (25.87).

Freshman Kay-Lee McSwain (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Huron) ran the third leg on the state runner-up 4x100m relay as a senior after finishing second at the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 Regional meet in the 100m hurdles in a personal-best time of 14.79.

Freshman Lexi Movsesian (Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran North) recorded a personal-best mark of 4-10 in the high jump to place sixth at the 2021 Macomb County Championships.

Sophomore Mikaela Owen (Bridgman, Mich.) finished eighth in the 200m dash (26.38) at the 2021 GLIAC Championships and 11th in both the long jump (season-best mark of 5.02m) and 60m dash (season-best time of 7.94).

Sophomore Macie Ries (Mason, Mich.) finished 12th at GLIACs a year ago in the 60m hurdles in a season-best time of 9.63.

Freshman Parys Smith (Keego Harbor, Mich. / West Bloomfield) clocked in at 16.44 for 100m hurdles at the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 state meet, and ran leadoff on the 4x200m relay.

Junior Makayla Sumrall (Roseville, Mich.) placed fourth in the 60m dash (7.67) at the 2021 GLIAC Championships, and fifth in the 200m dash (25.65).

Freshman Makenzie Wellner (Menominee, Mich.) won four Upper Peninsula Division 1 state titles in 2021 and would have finished seventh in team scoring by herself with 32.5 points.

Junior Mikayla Williams (St. Charles, Mich.) scored in three events at the 2021 GLIAC Championships finishing third in the long jump (5.34m), fourth in the triple jump (season-best mark of 11.07m) and sixth in the high jump (matched season-best mark of 1.59m).

Junior Morgan Witzgall (Auburn, Mich. / Bay City Western) competed in the 200m dash and long jump in her lone indoor appearance a season ago.

DISTANCE
Freshman Natalie Davies (Chelsea, Mich.) competed at the 2019 MHSAA Division 2 regional track meet participating in the 3200m race as well as the 4x800m relay.

Defrain has competed all three previous seasons at the GLIAC Championships earning points as a member of the sixth-place DMR in 2019.

Freshman Mattie Drennan (Clarkston, Mich.) competed in two events at the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 regional track meet finishing 10th in the 3200m race (12:04.70) and ran the third leg on the third place 4x800m relay.

Freshman Reagan Justice (Canton, Mich. / Salem) placed 11th at the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 state track meet in the 3200m race (11:29.85).

Freshman Layla Martini (Casnovia, Mich. / Kent City) ran leadoff on the 4x800m relay which placed second at the 2021 MHSAA Division 3 regional track meet and finished 13th at the state meet.

Freshman Annalee Misch (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) finished fourth in the 3200m race (12:04.02) at the MHSAA Division 1 regional meet as a senior, while placing fifth in the 1600m event in a season-best time of 5:35.86.

Wandell finished 11th in the 5000m race (19:03.92) at GLIACs a season ago.

Junior Makenzie Wank (Richland, Mich. / Gull Lake) finished 16th in the 3000m race (11:38.04) at GLIACs in 2021.

Junior Charlene Yarema (Romeo, Mich.) finished fourth at the 2021 GLIAC Championships in the 3000m race (10:29.15) and sixth in the 5000m race in a season-best time of 17:50.61.

MID-DISTANCE
Freshman Robin Bresolin (LaSalle, Ont./ St. Thomas of Villanova) earned All-City (Windsor and Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association) recognition in each of her three cross country seasons and both track seasons.

Junior Thailyia Christensen (Flushing, Mich.) ran the anchor leg on the fifth-place DMR at last year's GLIAC Championships and also finished ninth in the mile in a season-best time of 5:20.48.

Freshman Kynnedee Cowles (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) competed at the 2019 MHSAA Division 1 state regional meet running leadoff in the 4x400m relay, which finished second, and placed third individually in the 800m race (2:24.18).

Sophomore Emily Esker (Livonia, Mich. / Franklin) finished ninth at GLIACs last year in the 800m race in a season-best time of 2:21.56.

Freshman Emily Gordon (Northville, Mich.) ran the leadoff leg on two regional champion relays (4x400m and 4x800m) as a senior that both placed sixth at the MHSAA Division 1 state meet.

Junior Cameron Martella (Gaylord, Mich.) ran the anchor leg of the fourth-place DMR at the 2020 GLIAC Championships and also finished 11th in the mile, but did not compete a season ago.

Junior Katherine Ray (Novi, Mich.) ran a season-best time of 2:23.89 for 800m at the 2020 GLIAC Championships to finish 12th.

Newcomer Jillian Vera (Saugatuck, Mich.) won back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in the 4x800m relay in 2018 and 2019.

THROWS
Freshman Jasmine Correa (West Olive, Mich. / Holland West Ottawa) won the shot put and finished second in the discus at the 2021 OK Red Division Conference meet as a senior in high school.

Flowers finished 13th in both the shot put (11.81m) and weight throw (15.73m) at the 2021 GLIAC Championships.

Senior Nadia Harris (Detroit, Mich. / West Bloomfield) will look to improve upon a 19th-place finish in the weight throw at the 2020 GLIACs, after not competing in 2021.

Senior Teanna McCuaig (Sparta, Mich. / Kent City) competed at the 2020 GLIAC Championships in the pentathlon.

Sophomore Kaylee Price (Brownsburg, Ind.) set season-best marks in both the shot put (11.22m) and weight throw (12.15m) in her first collegiate meet.

Junior MaKayla Rawls (Detroit, Mich. / Birmingham Seaholm) did not compete in 2021 after participating at Western Michigan in 2020.

Taylor finished 10th in the shot put (12.39m) at the 2021 GLIAC Championships, and 16th in the weight throw (13.96m).

After Saturday's meet, the Warriors will be idle for finals and will resume competing on January 14th at the SVSU Classic.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Sierra Baltzer: Sprints/Hurdles; 5' 4"; Freshman

Thailyia Christensen: Mid-Distance; 5' 4"; Junior; 3-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Jasmine Correa: Throws; 5' 9"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Ashley Defrain: Distance; 5' 3"; Senior; 4-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Abigail Dunn: Sprints/Hurdles; 5' 4"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Emily Esker: Mid-Distance; 5' 6"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Kaleigh Flowers: Throws; 6' 2"; Senior; 4-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Nadia Harris: Throws; 5' 5"; Senior; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Renae Kutcha: Sprints; 5' 8"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Cameron Martella: Distance; 5' 3"; Junior; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Players Mentioned

Sierra Baltzer
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: Sprints/Hurdles

Thailyia Christensen
: 5' 4"; Junior; 3-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance

Jasmine Correa
: 5' 9"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Throws

Ashley Defrain
: 5' 3"; Senior; 4-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Distance

Abigail Dunn
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Sprints/Hurdles

Emily Esker
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance

Kaleigh Flowers
: 6' 2"; Senior; 4-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Throws

Nadia Harris
: 5' 5"; Senior; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Throws

Renae Kutcha
: 5' 8"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Sprints

Cameron Martella
: 5' 3"; Junior; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Distance