ALLENDALE, MICH. – The Saginaw Valley State University track and field teams wrapped up the 2024 GLIAC Outdoor Championships on Friday afternoon. The women's team had a fantastic finish on the final day of the meet as they grabbed six of the seven conference awards for the meet. The Cardinal coaching staff was awarded the Women's Coaching Staff of the Year. Alona Olshevska was awarded the GLIAC Women's Track Athlete of the Meet. Cheyenne Nesbitt won the Women's Field Athlete of the Meet and the High Point Athlete of the Meet. Ericka Jackson walked away with the Freshman Field Athlete of the Meet Award. Christian Purchase-Ofoeme earned the Freshman Field Athlete of the Meet on the men's side.

The Cardinal men's and women's teams finished second in the team standings at the meet as the men compiled 151 points while the women scored 147.

The men claimed two GLIAC championships with Purchase-Ofoeme winning the decathlon on day two and Jacob Walker winning the 10K on the final day with a personal-best time of 30 minutes, 35 seconds.

The women won the 4x100 relay after Sophia Thelen, Olshevska, Angelina Delbosque, and Nesbitt crossed the finish line in 45.80 seconds.

Nesbitt had another dominant performance as she claimed titles in the high jump (1.70m) and 100 hurdles (13.40) with NCAA Division Provisional marks in both events. She also set a new PR in the shot put with a toss of 12.97m to finish sixth.

Olshevska won a GLIAC championship in the 400m with a provisional time of 53.66. She reached the podium in the 200m as the runner-up with a provisional time of 24.12.

A total of 27 other top-five finishes were recorded by SVSU. The men had 15 of them while the women grabbed the other 12.

Cassie Campbell recorded a provisional time with her second-place time of 1:01.41 in the 400 hurdles. Campbell had a fifth-place showing in the 100 hurdles with a provisional time of 14.09. Alexa Keiser reached provisional in the 1500 after placing second with a time of 4:30.43. Keiser had another top-five in the 800m with a fifth-place time of 2:15.63.  Adam Thomas was the runner-up in the 5K with a PR of 14:39.31. Thomas Hufton was second in the 10K with a time of 30:48.23.

Carson Hersch completed the SVSU sweep at the podium in the 10K as he was third in the race with a time of 30:53.62. Noah Verlinde was third in the 5K with a time of 14:40.60. Maddie Isola was third in the women's 10K after crossing the finish in 36:51.19. Trinity Greer also tallied third with her 57.30 finish in the 400m. Dominic Suliman clocked a 1:51.31 in the 800 for third. Corey Bowers registered third in the 1500 after a time of 3:54.66.

The men's 4x100 relay team consisting of Ernest Morris, Trevor Culpepper, Matthew Gazzarato, and Quin Broussard was third with a time of 41.47. The 4x400 relay team of Tyler Burrell, David Ferguson, Nate Niederquell, and Dominic Suliman also finished third after a time of 3:18.20.

Ciera Weber had a fourth-place performance in the pole vault after she cleared the bar at 3.47m. Sophia Thelen was fourth in the 200 with a time of 24.98. Jack Lobodzinski finished fourth in the 5K as he crossed the finish line in 14:46.22. Nate Niederquill was the final fourth-place finisher for Saginaw Valley with a time of 55.12 in the 400 hurdles.

The women's 4x400 relay team of Taylor Moyer, Jenna Picard, Mallory Farmer, and Makayla Fuerst placed fifth with a time of 4:00.96. Lynsey Amthor finished the 10K in fifth with a time of 37:03.55. Olivia  Carpenter was fifth in the heptathlon after a score of 3982. Jackson finished her meet with a fifth-place discus throw of 40.03m and a seventh-best shot put mark of 12.26m. Trevor Culpepper had a fifth-place finish in the 100 with a time of 10.64. Tyler Burrell was fifth in the 400 after clocking a 49.35. Quin Broussard earned fifth in the 200 with a time of 21.53. He was sixth in the 100 with a time of 10.67. Andrew Quinn had a provisional mark in the shot put at 17.03m that earned him fifth in the event. He set a PR in the discus with a toss of 45.02m that placed him fifth.

GLIAC Outdoor Champions

Cheyenne Nesbitt: High Jump (1.70m), Long Jump (6.12m), 100 hurdles (13.40)

Alona Olshevska: 400m (53.66)

4x100 Relay: Sophia Thelen, Alona Olshevska, Angelina Delbosque, Cheyenne Nesbitt (45.80)

Jacob Walker:10K (30:35.00)

Christian Purchase-Ofoeme: Decathlon (6596)

2024 GLIAC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Awards

Coaching Staff of the Year: Saginaw Valley State

Track Athlete of the Meet: Alona Olshevska

Field Athlete of the Meet: Cheyenne Nesbitt

High Point Athlete of the Meet: Cheyenne Nesbitt

Freshman Field Athlete of the Meet: Ericka Jackson