Weekly Release #15
4/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Upcoming Schedule
Thu-Sat., April 28-30 -- at Penn Relays (Philadelphia, Pa.), 10 a.m./9 a.m./7 a.m.
Thu-Sat., April 28-30 -- at Gina Relays (Hillsdale, Mich.), 3:15 p.m./9 a.m./10 a.m.
Fri-Sat., May 6-7 -- host Len Paddock Invitational (Ferry Field), 11 a.m./10 a.m.
Fri-Sun., May 13-15 -- at Big Ten Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
This Week: Penn Relays/Hillsdale "Gina" Relays
The University of Michigan men's track and field team will split up this weekend as Wolverine competitors are slated to appear at both the Penn Relays and Hillsdale "Gina" Relays. The Penn Relays will be held Thursday through Saturday (April 28-30) at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa., and feature competition at the high school, colllegiate and Olympic development levels. U-M's first event at the prestigious meet will be the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 7:25 p.m. The Gina Relays is also scheduled for Thursday through Saturday with the Wolverines first event at 5:30 p.m. on Friday (April 29).
Qualifying Offer
Junior/sophomore Nick Willis (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Hutt Valley HS) and senior/junior Nate Brannen (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS) claimed the top-two spots in the 1,500-meter run at the EMU Twilight Meet (April 22) to earn NCAA regional-qualifying times in their outdoor debuts. The U-M pair clocked 3:41.81 and 3:41.92, respectively, despite rain, cold and wind to rank among the nation's top-five fastest performances of the season. Freshman Victor Gras (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS) also posted an NCAA qualifying time -- his second in two weeks -- in a third-place effort at 3:47.62.
Willis Nets Athlete of the Week Honors
Junior/sophomore Nick Willis earned Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Week honors for the third time this season in recognition of his outdoor debut at the EMU Twilight Meet (April 22). No other conference athlete has garnered the weekly track and field distinction more than the Wolverine sophomore this season. The honor marks the seventh of the U-M career -- inlcuding a pair of cross country weekly awards -- and the first during an outdoor season.
1-800-Meter-Run
Three U-M runners claimed personal-best performances in the 800-meter run at the EMU Twilight Meet (April 22) as sophomore John D'Arcy (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont HS), freshman Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) and freshman Andrew Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby HS) all placed among the top-11 finishers among the 56-man field. It was the first collegiate open 800m for both 400-meter specialists D'Arcy and Wechter. D'Arcy placed third with a time of 1:52.31, while Wecther moved from third to first in the final 100 meters of his heat to claim the 11th overall spot at 1:55.11. Woods shaved a full second from his previous personal best with a time of 1:52.92 and a seventh-place finish.
Throwing the Hammer Down
Sophomore Chris McHugh (Nokington, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) has improved his season-best hammer throw mark in each of the Wolverines' five outdoor meets, opening with a 163-0 at the Raleigh Relays (March 25-26) and most recently hitting 178-5 to claim fifth at the EMU Twilight Meet (April 22). McHugh has twice bettered his personal best in the event this season, adding more than five inches to his previous mark.
Going Back to Cali
The Wolverines have registered 14 NCAA qualifying performances in eight different events this season -- already four greater than last year. Most recently, junior/sophomore Nick Willis and senior/junior Nate Brannen added their names to the list of qualified Wolverines with solid 1,500-meter efforts at the EMU Twilight Meet (April 22). Junior Andrew Ellerton leads the way for Michigan with a pair of qualifying runs in the 800m and 1,500m, both of which he recorded in his outdoor debut at the Sun Angel Classic (April 16). The 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Mideast Regional will be held May 27-28 at Robert C. Haugh Complex in Bloomington, Ind.
| Event (Qualifying Standard) | Name | Time/Mark | Date Set |
| 400-Meter Dash (47.26) | Stann Waithe | 46.70 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic |
| 800-Meter Run (1:50.40) | Andrew Ellerton | 1:50.29 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic |
| 1,500-Meter Run (3:48.21) | Nick Willis | 3:41.81 | 4/22 EMU Twilight Meet |
| Nate Brannen | 3:41.92 | 4/22 EMU Twilight Meet | |
| Mike Woods | 3:44.52 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic | |
| Andrew Ellerton | 3:46.17 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic | |
| Victor Gras | 3:46.75 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic | |
| Rondell Ruff | 3:47.09 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic | |
| 110-Meter Hurdles (14.33) | Jeff Porter | 14.12 | 3/26 Raleigh Relays |
| 400-Meter Hurdles (14.33) | Chris Stowe | 52.29 | 4/2 Yellow Jacket Invitational |
| Seth Waits | 52.47 | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic | |
| High Jump (2.10m) | Brad Miller | 6-10 3/4 (2.10m) | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic |
| Triple Jump (15.08m) | Michael Whitehead | 51-3 1/2 (15.63m) | 4/16 Sun Angel Classic |
| Discus Throw (50.37m) | Joey Sarantos | 169-10 (51.76m) | 4/9 Duke Invitational |
On the Horizon
The Wolverines will host the annual Len Paddock Invitational -- their lone outdoor meet -- on May 6-7 at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Mich. The final tuneup before the postseason, the meet is slated to begin at 11 a.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
