Wolverines Wrap Up Competition at Penn Relays

Saturday, April 26

Philadelphia, Pa.

Michigan

Penn Relays

4/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

Site: Philadelphia, Pa. (Franklin Field)
Event: Penn Relays
U-M Team Finish: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., May 2-3 -- at Jesse Owens Track Classic (Columbus, Ohio)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Junior Andre Barnes(West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS), senior Andrew Wechter(Shelby, Ohio/Shelby HS), senior/junior Dan Harmsen(Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) and fifth-year senior Stann Waithe(Towson, Md./Loch Raven HS) posted another NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying time in the 4x400-meter relay to lead the University of Michigan men's track and field team Saturday (April 26) at the Penn Relays. Two other relay teams also posted solid performances on the final day of action at Franklin Field.

Barnes, Wechter, Harmsen and Waithe captured fifth place in the 4x400 final on a windy afternoon. The wind slowed all of the teams down a step but was not strong enough stop the Maize and Blue from posting its second regional qualifying performance in as many days with a time of 3:09.75. The Wolverines' top-five finish in this event is its best since 1973, when Michigan won the event with a time of 3:10.90.

Also fighting a slight breeze was junior Adam Harris(Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton HS), who placed seventh in the 100-meter dash championship with a time of 10.66, 0.07 of a second behind his preliminary time (10.59). Gerald Phiri of Texas A&M won the event (10.37) and was the only athlete in the field to better his preliminary time (10.39). Harris' seventh-place performance was Michigan's best since Andrew Bruce won the event in 1981 with a time of 10.39.

The Maize and Blue squad in the 4x800-meter relay "college championship" -- junior/sophomore Roger Billhardt(Elmhurst, Ill./York HS), junior Justin Switzer(Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS), junior Mike Luginbill(Troy, Mich./Troy HS) and sophomore Ricky Fleming(Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) -- finished sixth with a time of 7:34.34, less then three seconds behind first-place Yale 7:31.74.

In early action on the final day, four Wolverines competed in the 4xMile "Championship of America" relay. Junior/sophomore Brandon Fellows(Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island HS), freshman Craig Forys(Howell, N.J./Colts Neck HS), junior/sophomore Sean McNamara(Elmhurst, Ill./York HS), and redshirt freshman Peter Christmas(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) finished sixth with a time of 16:35.40. The Wolverines were in second place going into the final leg before finishing just under six seconds behind defending champion Texas (16:29.50).

Junior/sophomore Brendan Lodge(Narragansett, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) began the strong day for the Wolverines by finishing third in the hammer throw "college championship" with an NCAA regional mark of 194-0 (59.15m), the second best performance of his career in the event.

The Wolverines will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the Jesse Owens Track Classic on Friday and Saturday (May 2-3) at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Event Winners/U-M Finishers

 4xMile (Championship of America) 1. Texas 16:29.50 6. Michigan 16:35.40 (Brandon Fellows, Craig Forys, Sean McNamara, Peter Christmas) 100-meter Dash (Championship) 1. Gerald Phiri, Texas AM 10.37# 7. Adam Harris, U-M 10.66 4x400-meter Relay (Championship of America) 1. Texas Christian 3:07.83# 5. Michigan 3:09.75# (Andre Barnes, Andrew Wechter, Dan Harmsen, Stann Waithe) 4x800-meter Relay (College Championship) 1. Yale 7:31.74 6. Michigan 7:34.34 (Roger Billhardt, Justin Switzer, Mike Luginbill, Ricky Fleming) Hammer Throw (College Championship) 1. Michael Jarman, Cincinnati 202-11# (61.88m) 3. Brendan Lodge, U-M 194-0# (59.15m) # NCAA regional qualifier