Records are made to be broken and junior Abby Winkle is proving that this season.
Hailing from a family of runners in Dorr, Mich., Winkle’s track and field story begins in middle school, where she dabbled in cross country since her father was the high school’s cross-country coach.
In high school, she played basketball and soccer, but the recurring theme with the sports is that she always utilized her speed. In basketball, she would break away with her speed for layups, and in soccer, she would use it to get past defenders to score. Winkle’s father, Steve, spoke of how Abby got into track and field.
“From a very young age, Abby would compete in the annual Fun Run,” Steve said. “She always won that race; she was very athletic, and her speed on the soccer pitches and basketball courts made her very tough on the kids trying to defend her. In her very first track meet as a sixth grader, Abby broke a school record, the first of six that she broke in middle school and three that she broke in high school.”
She ended up choosing Ferris to further her track and field career, in which she became second all-time in school history in the 400 meter, running a 56.71, as well as becoming third all-time in the 200 meter where she ran a 25.42. Winkle, alongside senior Daisy Englund, senior Kendra Montague and freshman Oliviah Malloy, became sixth all-time in the 4×4, where they set a time of 4:00.12.
Track and field head coach Jared Kelsh loves how Winkle always puts in the hard work to become a better athlete.
“I think Abby’s greatest strength is her consistency,” Kelsh said. “She has the ability to show up every day and put in the work to be better. I think this has really been a big reason on why she has run so well.”
When asked who her biggest inspiration is in both life and sport, Winkle instantly responded with Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Winkle loves how confident McLaughlin-Levrone is while remaining humble at the same time.
“I would definitely say Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, I mean, I don’t run hurdles because it is just so difficult, but I just really admire her,” Winkle said. “Not only is she incredibly talented, but she just seems like such an amazing person because of her confident humility, like she’s such an inspiration to girls who run track, and honestly, to everyone who runs track. She’s such an inspiration through her interviews, and she always has really good messages to send out.”
Winkle is currently majoring in psychology with a minor in Spanish, and she is planning on furthering her track and field career and educational career at graduate school. Her current options are Oakland University for a master’s in counseling, Wheaton University in Illinois for clinical psychology or the University of Detroit Mercy for their doctorate in Clinical Society. Oakland and Detroit Mercy are both DI universities, while Wheaton is DIII.
Winkle’s teammate, junior Mara Sweeney, believes Winkle is the prime example of what it means to be a Ferris Bulldog.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing and running with Abby Winkle for nearly three years,” Sweeney said. “Abby Winkle is a prime example of what it takes to be a Ferris State Bulldog. She is hardworking, determined, energetic and positive. One of Abby’s best qualities as both a teammate and as a person is her ability to empower and lift up those around her. She is constantly radiating kindness and compassion and is always there for you when you need her.”
While a big decision looms for Winkle’s senior season, she continues to make the most of her Bulldog career on the track.