Pruitt Wins Shot Put on Day Two of Meyo Invitational

Saturday, February 6

South Bend, Ind.

9:30 AM

Michigan

Meyo Invitational (Day 2)

2/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

Feb. 6, 2010

Site: South Bend, Ind. (Loftus Center)
Event: Meyo Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Team Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., Feb. 12-13 -- at Grand Valley State Big Meet (Allendale, Mich.), 4 p.m./Noon

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A win in the shot put from fifth-year senior Sean Pruitt (Cato, Wis./Valders) highlighted the University of Michigan men's track and field team on day two of the Meyo Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 6) at Notre Dame's Loftus Center. Pruitt's throw of 17.92 meters (58-9 1/2 feet) was furthest among the 34 competitors in the event.

Senior distance runner Sean McNamara (Elmhurst, Ill./York) took third in the mile run, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:07.03, less than a half-second behind winner Jason Bigelow (Oakland). Freshman Brendon Blacklaws (Wellington, New Zealand/Wellington College) added an eighth-place finish, making Michigan only one of two teams to have two runners finish inside the top 10 in that event; Notre Dame was the other.

Freshman Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) continued to show promise during the early stages of his college track career, taking fifth in the 60-meter dash (6.84). Fellow football player and junior Troy Woolfolk (Sugar Land, Texas/Dulles) did not make the finals but ran a 7.03 in the preliminaries.

Senior Peter Christmas (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) recorded a new career high in the Ryan Shay 3,000-meter run, coming in eighth place with a time of 8:10.72. His old career-best mark was set against Ohio State on Jan. 16 in 'The Dual', when he finished first (8:17.99). Senior Brandon Fellows (Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island), fresh off his win in the mile last Saturday (Jan. 30) at the Rod McCravy Invitational, took 16th in the 3,000-meter run (8:18.59).

Competing in front of friends and family, South Bend, Ind., native and U-M junior hurdler Carl Buchanon (South Bend, Ind./Clay) had a homecoming of sorts in the 60-meter hurdles, taking fifth in the field with a time of 8.06. Buchanon has been Michigan's top hurdler in every meet this season.

Michigan returns to the track next Friday (Feb. 12), as it participates in the Grand Valley State Big Meet at the Laker Turf Building in Allendale, Mich. Competition begins at 4 p.m. on Friday and concludes at noon on Saturday (Feb. 13).

Event Winners/U-M Finishers

60-meter Dash 1. Ray Jadusingh, Alabama             6.71 5. Denard Robinson, U-M               6.8422. Troy Woolfolk, U-M                 7.03
200-meter Dash 1. Curtis Leuenberger, Ohio State    21.5010. Nicholas Neuman, U-M              22.0021. Matthew Campbell, U-M             22.2824. Aaron Taylor, U-M                 22.38
400-meter Dash 1. Kirani James, Alabama             45.7940. David St. Amant, U-M              49.55
800-meter Run 1. Jack Howard, Notre Dame         1:48.6022. Dallas Bowden, U-M              1:52.4750. Nick Thomas, U-M                1:55.31
Mile Run 1. Jason Bigelow, Oakland          4:06.71 3. Sean McNamara, U-M              4:07.03 8. Brendon Blacklaws, U-M          4:08.38
Ryan Shay 3,000-meter Run 1. Joe Macdonald, Butler           8:00.73 8. Peter Christmas, U-M            8:10.7216. Brandon Fellows, U-M            8:18.59
60-meter Hurdles 1. Rick Pinkney, Brooks               7.83 5. Carl Buchanon, U-M                 8.06
4x400-meter Relay 1. Ohio State 'A'                  3:08.22   (Brandon Woodard, Elon Simms,    Stephen Robinson, Thomas Murdaugh)10. MICHIGAN 'A'                    3:12.99   (Matthew Campbell, Carl Buchanon,    David St. Amant, Nicholas Neuman)
Shot Put 1. Sean Pruitt, U-M                  17.92m (58-9 ½)

N O T E S

• The Meyo Invitational attracts top competition from the Midwest and Southeast regions. In addition to Michigan, several other Big Ten schools were competing this weekend, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Big Ten Championships are only three weeks away (Feb. 27-28 in Minneapolis, Minn.)

• Freshman Je'Ron Stokes was slated to run the 60-meter hurdles. He false-started during heat six and did not run.

• Fifth-year senior Lex Williams also ran in the Ryan Shay 3,000-meter run, finishing second. Williams will return to the Wolverines as an official competitor during the outdoor season.

• The 4x400-meter relay team of Campbell, Buchanon, St. Amant and Neuman ran the race in 3:12.99, the fastest time of any U-M quartet this season.

• Michigan did not have any competitors in the high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump or 35-lb. Weight.

Contact: Brad Rudner (734) 763-4423