The Saginaw Valley State University Indoor Track and Field Classic on Friday, Jan. 17 featured many local collegiate athletes from the Blue Water Area. Macomb Community College and St. Clair County Community College were in attendance, along with various former high school runners, jumpers, and throwers from the BWAC and MAC leagues, representing several Michigan colleges and universities. See the video above.
Field events kicked off the competition with a familiar face taking another victory: SVSU freshman Janae Hudson (Marysville) won the shot put in a collegiate personal-best throw of 12.78m (41’-11.25”). She was also fourth in the weight throw with a toss of 13.34m (43' 9.25"). In the hurdles, Gabriela Gashaj (MC Cardinal Mooney) ran a personal best of 9.43 for the Detroit Mercy Titans.
In the 800-meter run, Spring Arbor University’s Camden Khon (Armada) was the top local finisher, taking third in 1:55.2. Trent Glass (Marysville) of SC4 was 13th in 2:04.6 and teammate Vinny Schweihofer (St. Clair) was 16th in 2:08.47. Rochester Christian’s Brandon Zielke (Port Huron Northern) was 21st in the mile in 4:37.98, Schweihofer 23rd in 4:40.8, and Gunnar Wessel (MACH/unattached) was 27th running 4:46.02.
Also racing unattached, Grace Wessel (MACH) was fourth in the 800 Meters (2:25.88) and 7th in the mile (5:14.27), both PRs for her. Abagayle Barkley was seventh in the 800 for Spring Arbor, (Cros-Lex/2:33), Briana Albers was 13th (Richmond/2:39), and Emma Dell 14th for MCC (2:40.85). Dell was also 23rd in the mile in 5:56. Olivia Crawford was 30th for SC4 in 6:21. Barkley also chipped in on the ninth place for SAU’s 4x4 in 4:42.
The men’s 3000-meter run was stacked with Blue Water Area runners. SVSU Cardinals Lukas Kriesch (Yale) and Noah Verlinde (Armada) went 4-5, with Kriesch setting a PR of 44 seconds in 8:42 and Verlinde finishing in 8:45. Running unattached, Glen Davis (Port Huron Northern) was 10th in 9:04.1, SC4’s Acer Campbell 11th in 9:04.4, Jack DeWaele of MCC 25th in 9:43, SC4’s Dylan Schumann 28th in 9:48, and for MCC, Brandon Penberthy was 30th in 9:59, Mathieu Fortier 32nd in 10:17, and Preston Corneillie 33rd in 10:35.
Ava LaMilza led Blue Water Area women in the 3000, finishing fifth in 10:56. Teammate Erin Rowan took tenth in 11:47.
Ethan Dinanath (North Branch) was 18th in the 400 for Rochester Christian, running 53.48 and teaming up with Brandon Zielke (PHN) for 10th in the 4x400 relay in 3:49.62. Khon also chipped in on SAU’s third-place 4x400 relay in 3:26 while MCC’s Jack DeWaele, Brandon Penberthy, Dylan Penberthy, and Mathieu Fortier were 12th in 3:52.
On the women’s side, Gabriela Gashaj was 7th in the 400 in 59.87, a PR. SC4’s Laela Bhatti (Imlay City) ran a 1:09.59 to take 21st. Gashaj helped Mercy to the 4x400 relay victory in 4:06.85 (pictured below - courtesy of Detroit Mercy Track and Field Instagram). MCC’s women were 10th in 4:43 (Emma Dell, Lisaleen Ung, Ava LaMilza, Erin Rowan).
You can check out the full meet photo gallery at https://bluewaterrunning.zenfoliosite.com/svsu-classic-indoor-tf-running-events-only