Wayne State University Athletics

Renae Kutcha placed second in the high jump with a top-10 all-time school mark.

Women's Track & Field 1/20/2024 8:25:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track Competes At Findlay Alumni Classic

Four all-time top-10 marks in school history recorded.

FINDLAY, Ohio -- The Wayne State University women's indoor track and field squad resumed its 2023-24 season on Saturday at the Findlay Alumni Classic.

Quoting Coach Lofdahl: "We wanted to pick up where we left off in December from a competitive standpoint, and we did a good job of that today. Certainly there was some rust from not competing for six weeks (or more) and we are not full-strength yet, but the Findlay meet was a very solid opener.

"Annabelle Smith and Nicole Warren crushed it in the long jump, with marks that are No. 2 and No. 6 on our all-time list in only their second meet as Warriors. Makayla Stewart showed some big improvement in both shot put and weight throw, and Renae Kutcha nearly took the win in the high jump.

"Thailyia Christensen and Reagan Justice led a solid group of milers for us, and Mattie Drennan and Annalee Misch ran tough in the 3000. Our sprinters really got after it in the 60 dash led by Sasha-Gay Thompson and Mikaela Owen. We had excellent runs from Avery Wilson, Elyse Miller, and Nicole Warren in the 200 and a big PR from Richelle Cotter in the 60 hurdles.

"It was cool to have a dual meet with the defending GMAC champions, and we're excited to take things up a few notches at Saginaw Valley next weekend."

As coach Lofdahl mentioned Smith's mark in the long jump is second in program history, while Warren's is tied-for-sixth. Other top 10 performances in school history were turned in by Thompson (seventh in program history in the 60m dash), and Kutcha's height in the high jump is tied-for-eighth in program history.

60m Dash
Freshman Sasha-Gay Thompson (Plymouth/Shantamee, Jamaica), 4th, 7.92 (7.81 in prelims) - Prelims time ranks seventh in WSU History
Senior Mikaela Owen (Bridgman, Mich.), 5th, 7.97 (7.91 prelims)
Sophomore Avery Wilson (Davison, Mich.), 6th, 7.99 (7.97 prelims)
Sophomore Elyse Miller (Woodhaven, Mich. / Gibraltar Carlson), 7th, 8.03
Freshman Rachel Overgaard (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Ann Arbor Huron), 8th, 8.09 (8.05 prelims)
Sophomore Hanne Bastiaansen (Tessenderlo, Belgium), 9th, 8.09
Freshman Tianna Bennett (Howell, Mich.), 10th, 8.22
Sophomore Iyana Coates (East Lansing, Mich.), 11th, 8.38

200m Dash
Wilson, 3rd, 26.25
Miller, 4th, 26.35
Freshman Nicole Warren (Saline, Mich.), 6th, 26.83
Junior Renae Kutcha (Jackson, Mich. / Lumen Christi), 8th, 27.01
Sophomore Annabelle Smith (Blissfield, Mich.), 10th, 27.13
Coates, 14th, 27.73
Redshirt sophomore Richelle Cotter (Mt. Morris, Mich. / Flint Carman-Ainsworth), 15th, 28.00
Junior Makenzie Wellner (Menominee, Mich.), 17th, 29.12

400m Dash
Redshirt freshman Keneisha Thomas (Madison Heights, Mich. / Lamphere), 1st, 1:02.54
Bennett, 2nd, 1:04.88

1,000m Run
Sophomore Rachel Felstow (Leonard, Mich. / Romeo), 3rd, 3:08.26
Graduate student Emily Esker (Livonia, Mich. / Franklin), 4th, 3:11.91
Freshman Meagan Verellen (Shelby Township, Mich. / Utica), 5th, 3:27.07

Mile Run
Redshirt senior Thailyia Christensen (Flushing, Mich.), 2nd, 5:08.97
Junior Reagan Justice (Canton, Mich. / Salem), 3rd, 5:11.29
Sophomore Aubrey Migoski (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosevelt), 4th, 5:19.99
Redshirt senior Katherine Ray (Novi, Mich.), 5th, 5:20.48
Sophomore Sarah Greb (Washington, Mich. / Romeo), 7th, 5:40.55
Junior Layla Martini (Casnovia, Mich. / Kent City), 8th, 5:43.60

3,000m Run
Junior Mattie Drennan (Clarkston, Mich.), 3rd, 10:52.94
Justice, 4th, 10:53.13
Junior Annalee Misch (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower), 5th, 10:58.90
Migoski, 6th, 11:07.31
Greb, 8th, 11:32.35
Martini, 9th, 11:55.65
Junior Natalie Davies (Chelsea, Mich.), 10th, 11:55.72

60m Hurdles
Cotter, 2nd, 9.52
Thomas, 4th, 9.72

4x400m Relay
A, 3rd, 4:13.39 (Thompson, Bastiaansen, Overgaard, Owen)
B, 5th, 4:27.59 (R. Felstow, Esker, Christensen, Ray)

High Jump
Kutcha, 2nd, 1.50m (4-11.0) - Tied-for-eighth in WSU History
Freshman Gracie Klink (Capac, Mich.), 4th, 1.45m (4-9.0)

Long Jump
Smith, 1st, 5.55m (18-02.50) - Ranks second in WSU History
Warren, 3rd, 5.36m (17-07.00) - Tied-for-sixth in WSU History

Shot Put
Freshman Makayla Stewart (Novi, Mich.), 5th, 11.31m (37-01.25)
Junior Peyton Hansen (Freeland, Mich.), 7th, 8.19m (26-10.50)

Weight Throw
Stewart, 6th, 11.41m (37-05.00)

UP NEXT
The Warriors will compete this Friday (Jan. 26) and Saturday (Jan. 27) at the SVSU Jet's Pizza Invitational hosted by Saginaw Valley State University.

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Players Mentioned

Hanne Bastiaansen: Sprints; 5' 5"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/1-Outdoor

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

Iyana Coates: Sprints; 5' 5"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/1-Outdoor

Richelle Cotter: Multis; 5' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Natalie Davies: Distance; 5' 6"; Junior; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Mattie Drennan: Distance; 5' 6"; Junior; 3-Indoor/3-Outdoor

Emily Esker: Mid-Distance; 5' 6"; Graduate Student; 4-Indoor/4-Outdoor

Rachel Felstow: Mid-Distance; 5' 8"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Sarah Greb: Distance; 5' 4"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Reagan Justice: Distance; 5' 3"; Junior; 3-Indoor/3-Outdoor

Players Mentioned

Hanne Bastiaansen
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Sprints

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

Iyana Coates
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/1-Outdoor
: Sprints

Richelle Cotter
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Multis

Natalie Davies
: 5' 6"; Junior; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Distance

Mattie Drennan
: 5' 6"; Junior; 3-Indoor/3-Outdoor
: Distance

Emily Esker
: 5' 6"; Graduate Student; 4-Indoor/4-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance

Rachel Felstow
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Mid-Distance

Sarah Greb
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Distance

Reagan Justice
: 5' 3"; Junior; 3-Indoor/3-Outdoor
: Distance