Wayne State University Athletics

WSU's women's indoor track and field squad was tabbed for third by GLIAC coaches.

Women's Track & Field 12/7/2022 8:39:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track Ranked Third By GLIAC Coaches

DETROIT -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) released its 2022-23 Preseason Coaches Poll for Indoor Track and Field and Wayne State University's women's indoor team was ranked third.

Defending GLIAC Champion Grand Valley State received eight first-place votes and 64 points, while Saginaw Valley State received the other first-place vote and 56 points. Wayne State was third with 51 points and the Warriors were followed by Davenport (38 points), Northern Michigan (37), Parkside (31), Ferris State (23), Purdue Northwest (15) and Lake Superior State (9).

WSU returns three veteran throwers in graduate student Kaleigh Flowers (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Kentwood), along with redshirt seniors Izzy Taylor (Three Rivers, Mich.) and Teanna McCuaig (Sparta, Mich. / Kent City).

Veteran distance runner Ashley Defrain [Ash Goldyn] (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) had an outstanding fall season for the cross country team.

A quartet of seniors who have each earned five track letters will provide leadership. This group includes mid-distance runner Thailyia Christensen (Flushing, Mich.), sprinter Makayla Sumrall (Roseville, Mich.), jumper Mikayla Williams (St. Charles, Mich.) and distance runner Charlene Yarema (Romeo, Mich.).

Other returning veterans with significant experience include seniors Katherine Ray (Novi, Mich.) and Morgan Witzgall (Auburn, Mich. / Bay City Western) in mid-distance and jumps, respectively. Juniors Emily Esker (Livonia, Mich. / Franklin), Mikaela Owen (Bridgman, Mich.) and Macie Ries (Mason, Mich.) are slated to compete in mid-distance, sprints/jumps and sprints/hurdles, respectively.

Also returning in the throws events are senior MaKayla Rawls (Detroit, Mich. / Birmingham Seaholm) and sophomore Jasmine Correa (West Olive, Mich. / Holland West Ottawa).

GLIAC Female Freshman Track Athlete of the Meet for the 2022 Outdoor Championships Makenzie Wellner (Menominee, Mich.) returns for sprints and hurdles, while sophomore Renae Kutcha (Jackson, Mich. / Lumen Christi) scored in two events (400m and 4x400m relay) at last year's GLIAC Indoor Championships.

Five freshmen have been added for the sprints events. They are Hanne Bastiaansen (Tessenderlo, Belgium), Iyana Coates (East Lansing, Mich.), Emmanuela Johnson (Clinton Township,Mich. / Chippewa Valley), Elyse Miller (Woodhaven, Mich. / Gibraltar Carlson) and Avery Wilson (Davison, Mich.).

The two newcomers to the multis are Richelle Cotter (Mt. Morris, Mich. / Flint Carman-Ainsworth) and Idalia Shadhaya (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Sterling Heights / Career Prep Center).

The mid-distance races will see five other individuals competing including a trio of sophomores in Robin Bresolin (La Salle, Ont. / St. Thomas of Villanova), Kynnedee Cowles (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) and Emily Gordon (Northville, Mich.), along with freshmen Rachel Felstow (Leonard, Mich. / Romeo) and Brianna Wiegand (Washington, Mich. / Romeo).

Sophomore Lexi Movsesian (Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran North) returns for the jumps, while sophomores Parys Smith (Keego Harbor, Mich. / West Bloomfield) and Kay-Lee McSwain (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Huron) return for the hurdles.

The distance crew has plenty of depth. In addition to those mentioned above, other returnees are sophomores Annalee Misch (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower), Mattie Drennan (Clarkston, Mich.), Reagan Justice (Canton, Mich. / Salem) and Natalie Davies (Chelsea, Mich.), along with freshmen Amanda Felstow (Leonard, Mich. / Romeo), Emily Felstow (Leonard, Mich. / Romeo), Sarah Greb (Washington, Mich. / Romeo), Aubrey Migoski (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosevelt) and Briana Vojinov (Brownstown, Mich. / Woodhaven). Justice was the 2022 GLIAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet.

Vojinov, Justice, Drennan, Defrain (Goldyn), Yarema, Christensen and Gordon all ran last Friday at the NCAA Division 2 Cross Country National Championship meet helping the Warriors to a ninth-place finish.

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Players Mentioned

Hanne Bastiaansen: Sprints; 5' 6"; Freshman; 1-Indoor

Robin Bresolin: Mid-Distance; 5' 3"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

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

Iyana Coates: Sprints; 5' 5"; Freshman; 1-Indoor

Jasmine Correa: Throws; 5' 9"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Richelle Cotter: Multis; 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Kynnedee Cowles: Mid-Distance; 5' 2"; Sophomore; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Natalie Davies: Distance; 5' 6"; Sophomore; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

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

Mattie Drennan: Distance; 5' 6"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Players Mentioned

Hanne Bastiaansen
: 5' 6"; Freshman; 1-Indoor
: Sprints

Robin Bresolin
: 5' 3"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance

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

Iyana Coates
: 5' 5"; Freshman; 1-Indoor
: Sprints

Jasmine Correa
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Throws

Richelle Cotter
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Multis

Kynnedee Cowles
: 5' 2"; Sophomore; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance

Natalie Davies
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Distance

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

Mattie Drennan
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Distance