Running Bulldogs

The women’s team won and the men’s team finished fourth this weekend

Cross Country TimesThe Ferris State women’s and men’s cross country teams each finished in the top four at the Wisconsin-Parkside Lucian Rosa Open.

The women’s team, ranked 21st in the nation, finished first this past Saturday in muddy and cold conditions.

The top performer for the bulldogs was junior Tina Muir, who took the lead at the 2K mark and never looked back as she won the race with a time of 17:45.8. She was the only runner to finish the women’s race in less than 18 minutes.

“There were some quality girls racing and I was very eager to compete against them,” said Muir, “to place first was really exciting.”

Freshmen Anna Rudd and Alyssa Osika, along with junior Megan Josey, had solid outings as they each finished in the top 25 out of 176 runners. The women’s team finished with a total of 60 points to claim the 5K championship.

The women’s team is ranked fourth in the Midwest Region, behind Hillsdale, Grand Valley State and Southern Indiana, according to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Midwest Region is comprised of 13 teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and 11 from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

The men’s cross country team also placed respectively as they finished fourth overall. Tyler Crossman led the Bulldogs with an eighth place finish overall in the 8K with a time of 26:10.7.

Sophomore Steve Neshkoff, freshman Alex Bladecki, and junior Alex Best also had solid contributions for the men as they placed 24th, 29th and 30th respectively out of 193 runners. According to the USTFCCCA, the men’s team is ranked eighth in the Midwest Region.

“The whole team has been working really hard this year and it was nice to see that the hard work is paying off,” said Muir.