Michigan Nets Provisional DMR Standard at Meyo Invite

Friday, February 4

South Bend, Ind.

Michigan

Meyo Invitational (Day 1)

Michigan Nets Provisional DMR Standard at Meyo Invite

2/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men's track and field team provisionally qualified a distance medley relay team for the NCAA Championships as the Wolverines captured the event title on the first day of competition at the Meyo Invitational on Friday (Feb. 4) at Notre Dame's Loftus Center. The performance gives Michigan its fourth NCAA standard of the 2005 season.

The Wolverine quartet -- comprised of freshman Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS), sophomore Stann Waithe (Towson, Md./Loch Raven HS), junior Andrew Ellerton (Sudbury, Ontario/Confederation HS) and senior Nate Brannen (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS) -- registered a time of 9:36.03 -- the nation's second-fastest DMR of the season -- missing the automatic mark (9:33.00) by just three seconds. Woods gave U-M the only lead it would need early in the opening 1,200-meter leg, pulling ahead of the four-team field after allowing Oklahoma to pace the first two laps. The Wolverines outran their closest competition -- Missouri in the runner-up position -- by more than 12 seconds.

With the performance, U-M extended its winning streak in the distance medley relay to four consecutive indoor event titles, dating back to last season's Sykes-Sabok Challenge Cup (Feb. 13-14, 2004). The Wolverines are the defending NCAA champion in the event and own the collegiate record in 9:27.77.

Michigan also boasted a strong showing in the 500-meter run as four Wolverine runners placed among the top-11 finishers. Sophomore John D'Arcy (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont HS) -- who captured the event crown last season -- was the top U-M placer, taking runner-up honors with a time of 1:02.84, just 0.14 seconds behind Marquette's John Shaffer.

The Maize and Blue will return tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 5) for the second day of the prestigious Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind. Competition is slated to begin at 10 a.m.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 1)

300-meter Dash 1. Daniel Barbarie, Toronto 34.56 500-meter Dash 1. John Shaffer, Marquette 1:02.70 2. John D'Arcy, U-M 1:02.84 5. Seth Waits, U-M 1:04.07 7. Chris Stowe, U-M 1:04.52 11. David Battani, U-M 1:05.96 1,000-meter Run 1. Thomas Chamney, unattached 2:24.86 5,000-meter Run 1. Boaz Cheboyiwo, Nike 13:38.14 6. Tom Greenless, U-M 14:21.73 19. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 14:43.73 20. Andrew Bauer, U-M 14:47.15 26. Dan Murray, U-M 15:13.15 27. James Reichardt, U-M 15:16.59 Distance Medley Relay 1. Michigan 9:36.03 (Mike Woods, Stann Waithe, Andrew Ellerton, Nate Brannen) Pole Vault 1. Paul Terek, unattached 17-5 (5.31m) t8. Kevin Peterman, U-M 15-9 (4.80m) 12. Kevin Day, U-M 15-3 (4.65m) 18. Spencer Dowdall, U-M 14-3 1/4 (4.35m) Weight Throw 1. Bobby Musil, Missouri 63-5 (19.33m) 19. Chris McHugh, U-M 51-11 3/4 (15.84m) 21. Nick Vander Ploeg, U-M 50-1 3/4 (15.28m)