KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- After producing some great results during the outdoor regular season, the Western Michigan track and field team will now compete at the MAC Championships at Northern Illinois from May 9-11. WMU enters the championship event having 15 student-athletes ranked in the conference's top-10 in their respective events. 

TOP-25 EVENTS
The Broncos have been great in a variety of events this season, but the discus and 3K steeplechase groups have risen to the top. As a unit, the steeplechase group of Kayla Schiera, Annalise James, Madison Zarembski and Delaney Knoll ranks No. 11 in the nation and first in the MAC. Schiera holds the school record in the event, James is second in program history and Zarembski is seventh. Knoll sits just outside the top-10 in program history. 

The discus group of Tess Van Dyk, Bri'Yanna Robinson, Lane Hagens and Mariah Sackett is sitting at No. 24 in the nation and first in the MAC. Van Dyk has the No. 10 mark in program history, while Bri'Yanna Robinson is just outside the school's top-10 list. However, Robinson is the school-record holder in the shot put. 

SCHIERA CONTINUES TO SHINE
Graduate student Kayla Schiera has been impressive over her last three appearances, as she's posted a pair of school records and one other top-10 time in program history. She started her dominant run with a school-record 3K steeplechase time of 10:03.93 at the Raleigh Relays back in March. Her time currently sits at No. 2 in the MAC and No. 22 in the nation. 

She then went on to grab the second-best time in program history in the 1,500-meter run at the Jesse Owens Classic in mid-April. However, she would break that mark the following week, posting the 1,500-meter run school record at the GVSU Extra Weekend on April 25. She finished the race in a time of 4:22.10, which currently sits as the sixth best time in the conference. 

LOOKING FOR MORE HARDWARE
WMU will look to build off of its success at the Indoor MAC Championships, which was headlined by a champion in the 60-meter hurdles and three All-MAC performers. Sandra Ferrari stole the show, winning the 60-meter hurdles and earning First Team All-MAC honors. She also finished second in the long jump, breaking the school record in the process. Ferrari earned the MAC Freshman Field Performer of the Year award following the meet. 

Along with Ferrari, Mabinty Kebe and Kayla Schiera were recognized as Second Team All-MAC performers. Kebe finished second in the 60-meter hurdles, while Schiera was the runner-up in the 800-meter run. The trio of Ferrari, Kebe and Schiera helped the Broncos post their best team finish since 2019. 

GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM
The Western Michigan track and field team hasn't just been producing athletic results, as the group posted one of the best team GPA's in the entire athletic department. For the spring semester, the Broncos earned a 3.70 grade-point average, including nine student athletes with a 4.0 GPA. Furthermore, 25 members of the team were able to produce a 3.5 GPA or better. 

WHO'S COMPETING? (DENOTES PR)
100-METER DASH
Soniya Jones (11.88)
Laurie-Ann Desormes (12.24)

200-METER DASH
Soniya Jones (24.20)

1,500-METER RUN
Danielle Rinn (4:27.70)

5,000-METER RUN
Danielle Rinn (16:42.85)
Kayla Schiera (16:37.32)

10,000-METER RUN
Brooke Soper (38:10.69)
Lillian Zelasko (Event Debut)
Larissa McGrath (Event Debut)

100-METER HURDLES
Sandra Ferrari (13.83)
Mabinty Kebe (14.23)

400-METER HURDLES
Mabinty Kebe (59.15)
Claira Gilchrist (1:03.68)

3,000-METER STEEPLECHASE
Kayla Schiera (9:58.24)
Annalise James (10:34.16)
Madison Zarembski (11:02.75)

4x100 RELAY
Sandra Ferrari, Mabinty Kebe, Laurie-Ann Desormes, Soniya Jones (45.93)

4x400 RELAY
Soniya Jones, Laurie-Ann Desormes, Layla Wallace, Mabinty Kebe (Event Debut)

LONG JUMP
Sandra Ferrari (6.19 meters)
Mimi Joseph (5.63 meters)

TRIPLE JUMP
Anichka Malachi (11.93 meters)

SHOT PUT
Bri'Yanna Robinson (16.65 meters)
Tess Van Dyk (13.88 meters)
Lane Hagens (13.41 meters)

DISCUS
Tess Van Dyk (46.41 meters)
Bri'Yanna Robinson (51.29 meters)
Lane Hagens (45.43 meters)
Mariah Sackett (41.50 meters)

HAMMER THROW
Kennedy Hagens (43.78 meters)
Mariah Sackett (40.51 meters)