Ruff Wins 800 Meters to Pace Wolverines at EMU Invite

Saturday, January 15

Ypsilanti, Mich.

Michigan

EMU Invitational

Ruff Wins 800 Meters to Pace Wolverines at EMU Invite

1/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Senior Rondell Ruff (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS) earned his second individual victory in as many weeks to lead the University of Michigan men's track and field team at the non-scoring EMU Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 15) at Bob Parks Track.

Ruff won the third and final heat of the 800-meter run -- with sophomore Sebastien Lounis (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Seaholm HS) and freshman Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) at his heels -- as the Wolverines posted the event's three fastest times of the day among the 29-man field. The heat went out at a very slow 0:58 initial pace as a pair of Eastern Michigan runners ran out front through the opening 200 meters. Lounis pushed to the front, followed closely by his teammates, and the U-M group accelerated with each lap. Ruff took over with just a lap remaining and the Wolverine runners used their kicks to pull away from the pack down the final stretch. Ruff clocked a time of 1:54.01, while Lounis recorded 1:54.43 and Woods -- in his U-M track debut -- ran 1:55.08.

Senior Nathan Taylor (Courenay, British Columbia/Georges P. Vanier HS) and sophomore Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin HS) each made his season debut at the EMU Invitational, competing in the sprint events. Porter tied for fourth place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.99, while Taylor posted the third-fastest time in the preliminaries (6.97) but did not compete in the final. The Wolverine senior also ran the 200-meter dash, sharing the sixth spot at 22.58.

The Wolverines return to Ann Arbor next Saturday (Jan. 22) to host the Red Simmons Invitational at the U-M Indoor Track Building. Competition is slated to begin with the field events at 9 a.m. while track events start at noon.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

60-meter Dash 1. Will Hills, unattached 6.85 4. Jeff Porter, U-M 6.99 200-meter Dash 1. Roy Shavers, Eastern Michigan 22.01 6. Nathan Taylor, U-M 22.58 15. Francis Legasse, U-M 23.13 400-meter Dash 1. Nduka Awazie, unattached 48.38 6. Chris Stowe, U-M 50.07 7. Dan Harmsen, unattached 50.31 800-meter Run 1. Rondell Ruff, U-M 1:54.01 2. Sebastien Lounis, U-M 1:54.43 3. Mike Woods, U-M 1:55.08 11. Ryan Gall, U-M 1:58.59 Mile Run 1. Corey Nowitze, Eastern Michigan 4:15.38 4. Brian Les, U-M 4:18.07 3,000-meter Run 1. Tom Clifford, Eastern Michigan 8:35.25 7. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 8:52.30 8. Dan Murray, U-M 8:52.40 9. James Reichardt, U-M 8:57.86 60-meter Hurdles 1. Sanchaze Ross, Findlay 8.01 4. Rich LaCroix, U-M 8.43 7. Nick Meter, U-M 8.60 4x400-meter Relay 1. Eastern Michigan 3:23.34 Distance Medley Relay 1. Eastern Michigan 10:37.30 High Jump 1. Adam Kring, unattached 6-10 3/4 (2.10m) 3. Brad Miller, U-M 6-6 (1.98m) 5. Darren Adams, U-M 6-6 (1.98m) Long Jump 1. Jess Krause, Hillsdale 21-3 3/4 (6.47m) Triple Jump 1. Nathan Koetje, CSTN 43-3 (13.18m) Pole Vault 1. Geoff Fairbanks, unattached 16-6 (5.03m) 3. Kevin Peterman, U-M 15-0 (4.57m) 6. Kevin Day, U-M 15-0 (4.57m) 8. Craig Theissen, U-M 15-0 (4.57m) 10. Spencer Dowdall, U-M 14-6 (4.42m) Shot Put 1. Clark Wilson, Eastern Michigan 58-8 1/2 (17.89m) 5. Joey Sarantos, U-M 48-0 3/4 (14.65m) 12. Dan Bedoya, unattached 41-1 3/4 (12.54m) Weight Throw 1. Joe Skrycki, unattached 64-10 3/4 (19.78m) 4. Nick Vander Ploeg, U-M 53-11 (16.43m) 7. Chris McHugh, U-M 50-0 1/2 (15.25m) 15. Dan Bedoya, unattached 40-10 1/2 (12.45m)