FERRIS TO HOST ANNUAL BULLDOG INVITATIONAL APRIL 5

Annual Event To Serve As School's Only Home Track Meet This Season

Ferris distance runner Mikinzie Stuart takes part in a home meet two years ago. FSU hosts the annual Bulldog Invitational Saturday (April 5) at Top Taggart Field.

The event, which serves as the school's official home meet of the season, kicks off at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) with the field event competition. Running events will get underway at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) with the women's 5,000 meter run participants slated to hit the track first. The 1,600-meter relay will be the day's final event. A rolling time schedule will be used and all running events are timed finals. The meet is open to the public.

In addition to Ferris State, the non-scoring invitational field will include a variety of student-athletes from both West Michigan schools and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)-member institutions.

This season marks the first time the Bulldogs have hosted a home meet since the 2006 season as last year's Bulldog Invitational was cancelled due to inclement weather.

The Bulldog Invitational was held on an annual basis prior to the 1987 season. Ferris then reinstated the annual event by hosting their first home track meet in 12 seasons on April 10, 1999. The meet has been held each season since then with the exception of the 2000 and 2006 outdoor campaigns when the event was cancelled due to weather. FSU had held the Bulldog Invitational for six-straight years prior to last campaign.

The Bulldog Invitational is FSU's only scheduled home meet of the 2008 outdoor campaign.

Top Taggart Field serves as the site for the Bulldogs' home track and field meets. The stadium, which also serves as home to FSU’s varsity football program, was dedicated October 1957 in honor of the school’s first official varsity football coach and his contributions to the institution.

The facility underwent a multi-million dollar renovation in the spring of 1998, which involved the installation of a 400-meter, eight-lane track with a brick red urethane surface surrounding a top-of-the-line artificial turf playing surface. Also, renovations were completed at that time for two shot put circles, two long and triple jump pits, and a pair of pole vault boxes. The facility also includes the three-story Wheeler Pavilion, which was added in 2001.

In addition to Top Taggart Field, throwing events will also be held just south of the stadium on university practice fields.

The Bulldog men's and women's teams officially opened the 2008 outdoor season by taking part in the adidas Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University this past weekend (March 28-29) in Raleigh, N.C. The event was a non-scoring team competition.

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