Weekly Release #19
5/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sat., May 26-27 -- at NCAA Mideast Regional (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Wed-Sat., June 7-10 -- at NCAA Oudtoor Championships (Sacramento, Calif.)
This Week: NCAA Mideast Regional
The University of Michigan men's track and field team will send 12 different individuals to the 2006 NCAA Mideast Regional Friday and Saturday (May 26-27) at Tennessee's Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. Competition will begin at 11 a.m. each day, with track events beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit the Tennessee website.
Schedule for U-M Athletes (Times EDT)
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Michigan at the NCAA Regional
In 2003, the NCAA adopted a regional-qualifying format for the NCAA Championships, dividing the country into four separate regions. A student-athlete must finish in the top five of an individual event or be a member of a top-three relay at the regional championship in order to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. The track and field committee will also select a group of at-large athletes to round out the remainder of the Championships field in each event.
The Wolverines have boasted five individual event champions through three previous regional appearances. Last season, the Wolverines took seventh place (39 points) at the NCAA Mideast Regional, boasting its best team finish in the three-year history of the event behind a pair of event winners and seven total scoring performances. Junior Andrew Ellerton (Sudbury, Ontario/Confederation HS) and junior/sophomore Nick Willis both earned the second regional crown of their careers, winning the 800- and 5,000-meter events, respectively. Freshman Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) and senior/junior Rondell Ruff (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS) placed fourth and fifth to round out the automatic qualifiers in the 1,500-meter run while sophomore Michael Whitehead (East Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area HS) earned an automatic bid in the triple jump after tallying a sizable personal best to claim fourth. Sophomore Stann Waithe (Towson, Md./Loch Raven HS) tallied back-to-back personal bests in the 400-meter dash, claiming sixth place to collect an at-large bid, and joined the Wolverines' 4x400-meter relay that posted Michigan's second-fastest time in program history to pick up another sixth place finish.
Going Back to Cali
The Wolverines have qualified 12 individuals to the NCAA Mideast Regional, representing 10 different events (two sprint, two hurdles, two middle distance, two distance and three field events). Among the qualified U-M competitors, five will be making their collegiate debut at the NCAA regional meet, while the remaining seven have previously attended. Freshman Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) leads the way for the Maize and Blue with qualifying performances in a pair of events but will focus only on the 1500m. The 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Mideast Regional will be held May 26-27 at the Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
| Event (Qualifying Standard) | Name | Time/Mark | Date Set |
| 100-Meter Dash (10.50) | Adam Harris | 10.46 | 4/22 Central Collegiate |
| 400-Meter Dash (47.26) | Stann Waithe | 46.15 | 5/14 Big Ten Outdoors |
| 110-Meter Hurdles (14.30) | Jeff Porter | 13.93 | 4/1 Yellow Jacket |
| 400-Meter Hurdles (52.51) | Dan Harmsen | 51.94 | 5/14 Big Ten Outdoors |
| 800-Meter Run (1:50.40) | Rondell Ruff | 1:49.43 | 5/14 Big Ten Outdoors |
| 1,500-Meter Run (3:47.80) | Mike Woods | 3:45.89 | 5/14 Big Ten Outdoors |
| Lex Williams | 3:47.19 | 4/22 Central Collegiate | |
| 3,000-Meter Steeplechase (9:07.00) | Andrew Bauer | 9:06.70 | 4/27 Penn Relays |
| 5,000-Meter Run (14:10.00) | Lex Williams | 14:07.18 | 4/27 Penn Relays |
| High Jump (2.10m) | Brad Miller | 6-10 3/4 (2.10m) | 4/8 Texas Relays |
| Triple Jump (15.08m) | Michael Whitehead | 51-10 (15.54m) | 4/8 Texas Relays |
| Shot Put (16.80m) | Sean Pruitt | 56-0 1/2 (17.08m) | 5/14 Big Ten Outdoors |
| Paul Sarantos | 55-1 1/2 (16.80m) | 4/22 Central Collegiate |
Port Authority
Junior Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin HS) reestablished himself as the top high hurdler in the Big Ten Conference after capturing the 110-meter crown at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 12-14) with a time of 13.94. The performance was just 0.01 seconds off of his personal best in the event, which he registered in his outdoor season debut at the Yellow Jacket Invitational (April 1). Porter has blazed an NCAA regional-qualifying effort in five races his season. He ranks 12th on the NCAA Mideast Regional performance list.
Ruff and Ready
Fifth-year senior captain Rondell Ruff (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS) netted his NCAA regional-qualifying standard in his last possible chance, blazing a personal-best 1:49.43 to claim fifth in the 800-meter at the Big Ten Championships (May 12-14). The performance trimmed 0.45 seconds from his previous best, which he had registered in the 800-meter final at the 2005 Big Ten meet. The Wolverine captain claimed fifth in the 1,500m at last season's regional meet to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Ruff lists 12th among the NCAA Mideast Regional seeds in the event.
The Tortoise and the Harris
Freshman Adam Harris (Wheaton, Ill./North HS) boasted his NCAA regional-qualifying standard in the 100-meter dash as part of a outstanding performance at the Central Collegiate Championships (April 22). Harris earned Athlete of the Meet honors after a pair of sprint victories in the 100m and 200m as well as a contributory role in the Wolverines' first-place 4x100-meter relay. The U-M freshman blazed a time of 10.46 to edge out former Olympian Tanko Braimahin and post a 0.04-second improvement on his previous best out of high school. He ranks 19th on the NCAA Mideast Regional performance list.
If You Can't Stann the Heat
Junior Stann Waithe (Towson, Md./Loch Raven HS) improved his 400-meter personal best at the Big Ten Championships (May 12-14), claiming third place in the event for the third straight conference meet with a time of 46.15. The Wolverine shaved 0.21 seconds from his previous best, set a year ago at the NCAA regional en route to an at-large qualification. Entering the weekend, Waithe holds the sixth position on the NCAA Mideast Regional performance list.
The Man who Woods be King
Sophomore Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) posted his best time of the season in a runner-up 1,500-meter run performance at the Big Ten meet (May 12-14), clocking 3:45.89 to place himself sixth on the NCAA Mideast Regional performance list. Woods claimed fourth in the 1,500m at last season's regional meet to qualify for the NCAA Championships in his first outdoor season.
Good Will Hunting
Freshman Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) also claims a 1,500-meter regional qualifer, holding the 14th spot with a season-best time of 3:47.19, which he recorded in a third-place finish at the Central Collegiate Championships (April 22). Williams had netted his initial qualifier a week earlier at the Sun Angel Classic (April 15) on a converted mile time.
Andrew It Again
Senior/junior Andrew Bauer (West Bloomington, Mich./Lahser HS) kicked his way to seventh place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Big Ten Championships (May 12-14), registering a time of 9:10.40 to earn his first conference scoring performance and improve on back-to-back 15th-place finishes in his two previous appearances. His NCAA regional-qualifying effort came a couple weeks earlier at the Penn Relays (April 27-29) when the Wolverine blazed a personal-best 9:02.37 to capture top prize in the college-division race and improve on his runner-up finish from the previous year. Bauer trimmed nearly three seconds from his previous best in the event, set exactly a year earlier at the Penn Relays. He enters the weekend sitting 20th on the NCAA Mideast Regional performance list.
Miller's Crossing
Senior captain Brad Miller (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) earned his best career Big Ten outdoor finish, claiming fifth place in the high jump at last weekend's conference meet (May 12-14) with a clearance of 6-10 3/4, missing his personal best by less than an inch. The Wolverine captain netted his NCAA regional-qualifying mark at the Texas Relays (April 5-8), clearing 6-10 3/4 to claim fourth place in the 'B' section of the event. Miller ranks seventh among the 17-man field slated to compete at the NCAA Mideast Regional.
Legging Out the Triple
Junior Michael Whitehead (East Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area HS) posted a season-best 51-11 3/4 at the Big Ten Championships (May 12-14) to place third in just his fourth triple jump appearance of the 2006 outdoor slate. Whitehead added more than a foot to his previous season mark but still fell short of his own U-M school outdoor record in the event (52-7 1/4), which he registered at last season's NCAA Mideast Regional en route to a fourth-place finish and NCAA qualification. He lists fifth entering the weekend competition.
Deputy Dan
Sophomore/freshman Dan Harmsen (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) claimed his second NCAA regional-qualifying standard of the season at the Big Ten Championships (May 12-14) en route to a personal-best performance in the 400-meter hurdles. Harmsen blazed a time of 51.94 -- his third PR of the 2006 slate -- shaving 0.32 seconds from his previous best, set at the Duke Invitational (April 7-8). He enters the NCAA Mideast Regional with the 13th seed.
Saint Paul
In an interesting turn of events, senior/junior Paul Sarantos (Portage, Mich./Northern HS) added his name to the list of NCAA Mideast Regional qualifiers several weeks after after his personal-best performance at the Central Collegiate Championships (April 22). After the discovery that the measuring tape wasn't correctly calibrated, Sarantos was given 0.10 meters added to his mark, bringing his best to 55-1 1/2 (16.80m) and netting him the qualifying standard on the nose. Sarantos lists 28th on the NCAA Mideast Regional performance list.
A Shot in the Dark
Freshman Sean Pruitt (Cato, Wis./Valders HS) earned a personal-best performance in the shot put at the Big Ten meet (May 12-14), placing seventh in the event with a mark of 56-0 1/2. It was Pruitt's second NCAA regional-qualifying effort of the season as the Wolverine freshman added more than nine inches to his previous best, registered a couple weeks earlier in a runner-up finish at the Penn Relays. He lists 21st among the NCAA Mideast Regional seeds.
On the Horizon
After another two-week hiatus, the Wolverines send their qualified competitors to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for June 7-10 in Sacramento, Calif.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
