Western Wayne Today

DETROIT -- Wayne State University's women's track and field team demonstrated competitive performances at the Central Michigan Chippewa Challenge, held at the CMU Lyle Bennett Outdoor Track on Saturday. Notable achievements included Olivia Findlay's victory in the high jump and the team's first-place finish in the 4x100m relay. Peyton Hansen also clinched first in the javelin.

In the 100m dash, Hanne Bastiaansen placed fifth, clocking 12.48 seconds, with Catalla Jones close behind in sixth at 12.49 seconds. Other strong performances were seen in the 200m dash, where Tianna Bennett and Emmanuela Johnson placed seventh and eighth, respectively.

Anna Gdowski finished sixth in the 800m run, completing the race in 2:14.55, while Taylor Hopkins achieved fifth place in the 1,500m run with a time of 4:44.31. The team also saw success in the 3,000m run, with Paige McArdle coming in third.

In hurdle events, Keneisha Thomas secured second in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.85 seconds. Meanwhile, the 4x100m relay team, consisting of Catalla Jones, Elyse Miller, Rachel Overgaard, and Hanne Bastiaansen, took first place, finishing in 47.45 seconds.

Field events also highlighted Wayne State's strengths, with Olivia Findlay winning the high jump at 1.62m. Annabelle Smith earned third place in the long jump, and Renae Kutcha finished second in the triple jump. Peyton Hansen's javelin throw of 34.49m secured her first place in that event.

The men's cross country team also participated, with Kenny Minto winning the 1,500m run in 3:54.28. Other significant performances included strong finishes in the 5,000m run by Sean Pettis and teammates.

Looking ahead, several of Wayne State's women's track athletes will travel to California for upcoming meets, aiming to continue their strong performances.