Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University women's outdoor track and field team finished third in the 2025 GLIAC Championships with a score of 108 points. This achievement marks the fourth consecutive year that the team has placed either second or third in the conference meet. On the second day of the event, the Warriors earned 91 points, the third-highest in the program's history.

Notable performances included five podium finishes. Keneisha Thomas broke her own school record, becoming the runner-up in the 400m hurdles. Hanne Bastiaansen secured second place in the 200m dash. The 4x400m relay team, comprising Avery Wilson, Elyse Miller, Renae Kutcha, and Makenzie Wellner, also finished second.

The 4x100m relay team, including Catalla Jones, Emmanuela Johnson, Hanne Bastiaansen, and Rachel Overgaard, started their track events with a third-place finish. Olivia Findlay also secured third place in the high jump.

Coach Lofdahl remarked, "This team has been incredible all year. The level of competition in the GLIAC is so high, and seems to go up every year, so to score over 100 points for the fourth consecutive year is a great accomplishment. That is a testament to the talent and leadership of our senior class." He highlighted various athletes, mentioning Olivia Findlay's first GLIAC podium finish, Ania Toboy's performance in discus and hammer, and Reagan Justice's third consecutive conference title in the 10,000 meters.

Lofdahl also noted, "Our sprinters and hurdlers were fantastic throughout the meet, with four finalists in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes."

In the final team standings, Grand Valley State led with 287 points, followed by Northern Michigan with 125.5 points and Wayne State with 108 points. Select team members will next participate in Last Chance meets to improve their chances of receiving an NCAA Championship selection.