Allendale, Michigan – Notre Dame Track and Field Team Shines at 2025 Grand Valley State University Early Bird Meet

Notre Dame’s track and field teams delivered impressive performances at the Grand Valley State University Early Bird meet held on February 3-4, 2025. Highlighting the event, Gretchen Farley clinched victory in the women’s 800-meter race, clocking in at 2:09.99, while her teammate, Aimee Haydee, secured third place with a time of 2:13.89.

The women’s 1,500-meter race saw Bridget Gallagher take first place with a strong finish of 4:28.23. Other noteworthy finishes in this event included Molly Grant (second at 4:28.59), Reagan Riley (third at 4:28.87), and Paige Grant (fifth at 4:30.27), all within a narrow range of just over two seconds apart from Gallagher.

The 400-meter hurdles showcased tremendous talent as Reese Sanders claimed second place with a time of 1:02.63. In the field events, Gabby Grattan tied for first in the high jump, successfully clearing a height of 1.69 meters. Jillian Stafford made her mark in the hammer throw with an improved personal best of 57.50 meters, placing third overall.

On the men’s side, Jason Marchese emerged victorious in the 400-meter hurdles, completing his race in 53.05 seconds. John Dearie added to the team’s success with a third-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, achieving a time of 14.94 seconds.

In the shot put event, Peyton Murray demonstrated his skills by finishing second in the open classification with a throw of 15.10 meters. Zach Petko made headlines by securing second place in the invitational flight of shot put with a personal best of 17.81 meters, moving him to seventh in the university’s all-time record list. Luke Himes was also a standout, finishing third in the shot put with a throw of 17.67 meters and winning first place in the open discus classification with a distance of 50.70 meters.

Additionally, Petko performed well in the hammer throw, finishing third with a mark of 49.42 meters. Meanwhile, Matthew Teague won the invitational flight of hammer throw with a personal best throw of 59.97 meters, positioning him ninth on the all-time performance list for the university.

The Notre Dame track and field teams are set to continue their season with a split outing next weekend. Selected athletes will compete at the 44 Farms Invitational at Texas A&M as well as the Duke Invite in Durham, North Carolina.

This year’s Grand Valley State University Early Bird meet featured competitive races and field events showcasing the talent and preparation of the Irish athletes. The performances strengthen the team’s momentum as they look ahead to upcoming competitions throughout the season.