Mikayla Williams is the 2022 GLIAC Long Jump champion.

Women's Track & Field 5/5/2022 8:47:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Track In Third Place At GLIAC Championships

Squad shatters school record for points on day one.

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's outdoor track and field squad began the 2022 GLIAC Championships on Thursday afternoon with numerous record-breaking performances.

TEAM STANDINGS
WSU is in third place with 45 points as only six women's finals were contested on Thursday. Davenport leads with 58 points, while Grand Valley State is second with 51 points. Trailing WSU are Saginaw Valley State (22 points), Northern Michigan (21), Lake Superior State (14), Michigan Tech (10), Northwood (7), Wisconsin-Parkside (2) and Ferris State (1).

The school-record 45 points on day one shattered the previous mark of 29 set in 2015. The Warriors will attempt to eclipse the championship mark of 77.83 set by the 2018 squad.

1500M
Freshman Emily Gordon (Northville, Mich.) advanced to Friday's finals after finishing eighth in the prelims in a personal-best time of 4:44.87. Sophomore Emily Esker (Livonia, Mich. / Franklin) and freshman Layla Martini (Casnovia, Mich. / Kent City) both posted personal-best times to finish 13th (4:59.84) and 20th (5:13.53), respectively.

100M HURDLES
Senior Aliyah McDonald (Kingston, Jamaica) notched a provisional time of 13.96 to place third and advance to Friday's finals. Freshman Makenzie Wellner (Menominee, Mich.) and classmate Kay-Lee McSwain (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Huron) both recorded personal-best times of 15.14 (10th) and 15.15 (11th). McDonald's time currently ranks 16th nationally and was the second-fastest in school history. Wellner's time was the seventh-fastest in program history, while McSwain's is ranked eighth.

400M DASH
Freshman Renae Kutcha (Jackson, Mich. / Lumen Christi) qualified for Friday's finals after posting a personal-best time of 58.22 during Thursday's prelims. It was the third-fastest time in program history.

JAVELIN
Senior Teanna McCuaig (Sparta, Mich. / Kent City) was the first Warrior to score at the GLIAC Championships finishing fifth in the javelin. She garnered a personal-best toss of 32.93m (108-00) on her third attempt. Classmate Izzy Taylor (Three Rivers, Mich.) placed 10th with her first attempt of 28.83m (94-07) being her best. McCuaig's mark ranks fifth in program history.

100M DASH
Junior Makayla Sumrall (Roseville, Mich.) continued her impressive spring breaking the GLIAC record in the prelims of the 100m dash by clocking in at 11.70. McDonald qualified for her second finals after a fifth-place finish in the prelims in a time of 12.42.

400M HURDLES
Wellner nearly matched her personal-best and advanced to Friday's finals after a third-place finish in 1:05.77. Sophomore Abigail Dunn (Northville, Mich.) finished sixth in a time of 1:06.08 to advance. Freshman Parys Smith (Keego Harbor, Mich. / West Bloomfield) also qualified for the finals by finishing in a personal-best time of 1:06.54, which ranks seventh in school history.

200M DASH
McDonald continued her outstanding day by qualifying fourth for the finals after running a 25.51 in the prelims. Sumrall won her heat in 25.54.

McDonald will be competing on Friday in the 100m hurdles, 100m dash and 200m dash, while Sumrall will be in both the 100m dash and 200m dash.

3000M STEEPLECHASE
WSU earned eight points in the event as juniors Thailyia Christensen (Flushing, Mich.) and Katherine Ray (Novi, Mich.) finished third and seventh, respectively. Christensen achieved a provisional mark with a time of 10:58.87 (which currently ranks 40th nationally), while Ray clocked in at 11:29.42. Freshman Robin Bresolin (LaSalle, Ont.) had a 10-second PR to finish 10th in 11:51.69. Christensen recorded the first provisional mark by a Warrior in the event since 2015 and was the third-fastest in program history, while Bresolin's time was the eighth-fastest in school history.

10,000M RUN
Freshman Reagan Justice (Canton, Mich. / Salem) finished third and tallied six points for the Warriors with a personal-best time of 36:12.06, which was also an NCAA Provisional mark. Senior Chloe Wandell (Muir, Mich. / Ionia) and freshman Annalee Misch (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower), both competing in the 10K race for the first time this spring, placed 14th (40:10.62) and 15th (40:27.98), respectively. Justice's time currently ranks 47th nationally, and is the fourth-best time in school history.

HAMMER
The Wayne State trio of junior MaKayla Rawls (Detroit, Mich. / Birmingham Seaholm), senior Kaleigh Flowers (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Kentwood) and senior Taylor combined to score 12 points finishing fourth, fifth and sixth. Rawls had her best toss on her fifth attempt with a distance of 47.71m (156-06). Flowers posted a personal-best mark of 46.90m on her fifth attempt, while Taylor garnered a best throw of 46.09m on her third attempt. Flowers distance of 153-10 ranks sixth in program history.

LONG JUMP
Junior MIkayla Williams (St. Charles, Mich.) earned a GLIAC title with a best distance of 5.52m (18-01.50), which came on her second attempt. In addition, junior Morgan Witzgall (Auburn, Mich. / Bay City Western) placed fourth with a best jump of 5.36m (17-07.00), which came on her sixth and final attempt.

UP NEXT
In addition to the aforementioned competitors that have qualified for finals on Friday, other events on Friday will be the discus, high jump, shot put, triple jump and 5K, along with the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay.

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Players Mentioned

Thailyia Christensen: Mid-Distance; 5' 4"; Junior; 3-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

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

Teanna McCuaig: Throws; 6' 0"; Senior; 3-Indoor/3-Outdoor

Aliyah McDonald: Sprints/Hurdles; 5' 5"; Senior; 4-Indoor/3-Outdoor

Kay-Lee McSwain: Hurdles; 5' 6"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

MaKayla Rawls: Throws; 5' 8"; Junior; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Katherine Ray: Mid-Distance; 5' 10"; Junior; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Players Mentioned

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

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

Teanna McCuaig
: 6' 0"; Senior; 3-Indoor/3-Outdoor
: Throws

Aliyah McDonald
: 5' 5"; Senior; 4-Indoor/3-Outdoor
: Sprints/Hurdles

Kay-Lee McSwain
: 5' 6"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Hurdles

MaKayla Rawls
: 5' 8"; Junior; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Throws

Katherine Ray
: 5' 10"; Junior; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance