Wayne State University Athletics

Women's Track & Field 10/22/2023 11:04:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Track Adds Three Distance Runners

DETROIT -- With the women's indoor track and field season just six weeks away, we will be doing stories on the newcomers over the next couple of weeks.

This article is about the three distance newcomers, who are also members of the cross country squad. They are freshmen Anna Gdowski (Northville, Mich.) and Meagan Verellen (Shelby Township, Mich. / Utica), along with Saint Leo transfer Anna O'Connor (Waterford, Ireland / Waterpark College).

Anna Gdowski, 5-8, Fr., Northville, Mich. / Northville
2023 Cross Country: Ran unattached in the three races she participated in.

High School: A 2023 graduate of Northville High School ... earned four varsity letters (two in cross country and two in track) ... competed at the MHSAA Division 1 state cross country meet in both 2021 and 2022 ... helped the Mustangs to a regional cross country title in 2022, a ninth-place finish at the 2022 state meet after a fourth-place finish at the 2021 state meet ... set a personal-best with a time of 19:22.1 for 5,000m at the 2022 MITCA Michigan Meet of Champions ... participated in both the 4x400m and 4x800m relays at the 2022 MHSAA Division 1 state track meet, helping the 3200m relay to an eighth-place finish after winning both the Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) and MHSAA Regional titles ... received High School Academic Honors.

Personal: Full name -- Anna C. Gdowski ... born on December 28, 2004, in San Ramon, Calif. ... daughter of Gregory and Tammy Gdowski ... has two older brothers, Lenny and Matthew ... plans to major in Exercise & Sport Science.

Anna O'Connor, 5-6, Sr., Waterford, Ireland / Waterpark College (Saint Leo)
2023 Cross Country: Competed in the first four regular-season races, notching top-five finishes at the first two events ... earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors with an 18th-place finish at the 2023 GLIAC Championships.

2022-23:  Cross Country: Ran in five meets, including the NCAA South Regional ... placed 16th at the NCAA Regionals in a season-best 6K time of 22:15.7 ... posted a season-best 5K time of 18:16.7 at the Alabama-Huntsville Festival Year Showcase.  INDOOR: Participated in four meets running the mile and 3,000m events ... posted a season-best time of 10:35.47 for 3,000m at the RADD College Invitational ... ran a season-best mile time of 5:08.93 at the Celebration Pointe Indoor Classic.  OUTDOOR: Competed in two meets ... notched a season-best time of 4:51.65 for 1,500m at the UCF Black and Gold Invite.

2021-22:  Cross Country: Competed in four meets, including the NCAA Division 2 national championships finishing in a time of 23:48.6 for 6K ... notched a season-best 4K time of 14:28.0 at the Mountain Dew Gator Invitational.  INDOOR: Competed in three meets running the 3000m (11:07.49 at the App State Split Invitational) and 5000m races (18:39.49 at the USA Jaguar Invitational).  OUTDOOR: Participated in three meets ... posted season-best times of 18:13.08 for 5,000m (Tampa Distance Classic) and 38:12.27 for 10,000m (Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge).

2020-21:  INDOOR: Did not compete.  OUTDOOR: Competed in five meets ... ran a season-best time of 5:00.53 for 1500m at the Blue and Gold Invite ... posted a season-best 5,000m time of 18:17.06 at the Tampa Invitational.

Saint Leo TFRRS - Cross Country

Saint Leo TFRRS - Track & Field

High School:  A 2018 graduate of Waterpark College Secondary School ... competed at the 2018 All-Ireland Champions Cross Country meet ... trains with the Waterford Athletics Club ... won multiple provincial and national medals in both cross country and track.

Personal: Full name -- Anna S. O'Connor ... born on June 4, 2000, in Waterford, Ireland ... daughter of Kieran and Sile O'Connor ... has two sisters, Orla and Meabh ... her twin sister, Orla competes for Providence College on the Cross Country and Track teams ... plans to major in Public Health.

Meagan Verellen, 5-3, Fr., Shelby Township, Mich. / Utica
2023 Cross Country: Has not competed ... will redshirt.

High School: A 2023 graduate of Utica High School ... was a four-year cross country letterwinner for the Chieftains and coach Chris Scott ... qualified for the MHSAA Division 1 state cross country finals each of her final three seasons ... ran a personal-best 19:06.7 for 5,000m at the 2022 MITCA - Michigan Meet of Champions ... also participated in track & field, and soccer for UHS ... was a three-year track and field letterwinner (since the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID) ... participated in the 4x800m relay at the 2021 MHSAA Division 1 state track meet ... ran in both the 800m and 1600m races at the 2022 MHSAA Regional meet ... was a multi-year team captain for both cross country and track.

Personal: Full name -- Meagan N. Verellen ... born on June 20, 2005, in Royal Oak, Mich. ... daughter of Rachelle Verellen and Jason Cutis ... has an older brother, Jeffrey, and an older sister, Katelyn ... plans to major in Biological Sciences ... first name is pronounced MEAG-an.

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Players Mentioned

Meagan Verellen: Distance; 5' 3"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Anna Gdowski: Distance; 5' 8"; Freshman; 1-Indoor

Anna O'Connor: Distance; 5' 6"; Senior; 1-Indoor

Players Mentioned

Meagan Verellen
: 5' 3"; Freshman; 1-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Distance

Anna Gdowski
: 5' 8"; Freshman; 1-Indoor
: Distance

Anna O'Connor
: 5' 6"; Senior; 1-Indoor
: Distance