Michigan
SPIRE NCAA D1 Invitational
Ofili's Big Day Highlights Strong Weekend at SPIRE
2/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 13, 2016
» Ofili also won the 60-meter dash, and U-M added first-place finishes in the 800 (Jaimie Phelan) and Mile Run (Claire Borchers) for a Saturday total of four event titles.
» The Wolverines return to the SPIRE Facility for the Big Ten Championships later this month (Feb. 26-27).
• Results | Photo Gallery 
Site: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Facility)
Event: SPIRE NCAA D1 Invitational (Day 2)
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 20 -- at Alex Wilson Invitational (South Bend, Ind.), 11 a.m.
GENEVA, Ohio -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team completed a two-day meet at the site of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday (Feb. 13), ending the weekend at the SPIRE NCAA D1 Invitational with a strong finish.
Head Coach James Henry emphasized the personal-bests that riddled this weekend's final results when discussing his top positive takeaways from the team's trip to SPIRE. Henry and his staff know it's time for the Maize and Blue to buckle down and zone in on the conference meet, something that the Wolverines appeared eager to do this weekend.
"Having this many PRs in this many events is always part of our goal," said Henry.
"February is for results; this weekend is what we call the semi-finals to our Big Ten Championships. You have to set your mark, set your time and let people know where you are at to establish yourself."
Henry also saw his team's positive response to a bump in the USTFCCCA Weekly Rankings, where the Maize and Blue were tabbed at No. 11 earlier this week (Feb. 8), a five-spot jump from the previous week.
"We have moved up in the rankings and the kids are improved," he said. "They did exactly what we sought to do this weekend and we continue to improve in the right direction at this point in the year."
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
U-M dominated the 800 race on the same track that produced a 2-3-4 finish for the Wolverines at the 2015 Big Ten Championships. Six of seven Wolverines in today's edition of the event finished in the top 10, led by a one-three finish from junior/sophomore Jaimie Phelan (2:05.50) and senior Danielle Pfeifer (2:05.76). Senior co-captain Devon Hoppe ran with Phelan and Pfeifer in the first heat, placing fifth in the section and sixth overall.
"I was really happy with this weekend and the race today," said Phelan.
"I felt that Danielle (Pfeifer) and I were working together and feeding off of each others energy as much as we could, which helped us run the times that we did."
Phelan's time was one of three PR's in the race, as senior Shannon Osika and senior/junior Gina McNamara also hit personal-best times with a two-four finish in the second heat between third-place finisher senior/junior Jamie Morrissey. For Osika, it was her first 800-meter race since 2014. Michigan alum Brook Handler also competed, finishing 10th overall and fifth in the heat.
Phelan, an academic junior from Kitchener, Ontario, was proud to post one of many personal-bests by competitors in Maize and Blue this weekend.
"We had so many PRs within our team," said Phelan.
"It's a great sign that our team training is going well as we continue to prepare for the Big Ten Championships and more good things to come!"
Sophomore Claire Borchers won the mile race in a personal-best time, pacing the first heat and crossing the finish line at 4:43.38. She was paced by Erin Finn to get the race moving quickly, and led the way for three Maize and Blue milers this weekend.
At the 3K distance, fifth-year senior Laura Addison and senior Taylor Manett competed. Addison was the runner-up, clocking 9:37.17 for a new personal-best, while Manett had a top-10 finish in the second heat one day after her birthday on Friday.
SPRINTS
Ofili led the way, setting a new SPIRE Facility record in 8.02 seconds, just .05 seconds off her PR set last weekend. She opened up at 8.14 to win the second heat and qualify for the final as the top seed before beating the rest of the field by more than two tenths of a second.
If not for her 7.97 at Notre Dame last weekend, Ofili's performance today would still stand as the nation's fastest time. Freshman Lauren Rodriguez matched her season-best in the prelims (9.16).
In the dash, Ofili ran 7.45 as the top qualifier, winning the fifth section just .08 seconds behind her school record. In the finals, she matched that time to top her competition once again. Sophomore Meghan Marias also competed and clocked a season-best 7.71 in the second heat.
Senior Maya Long and Emily Wee ran the 400-meter race, with Long earning a fifth place overall finish after winning the second heat in 54.69. Wee clocked a new PR, running her first sub-56 time as a Wolverine with a second place finish in the fourth heat in 55.94.
Ofili also ran for Squad A of the 4x400-meter relay along with Long, Marias and Wee, finishing fifth in the first heat and seventh overall with a time of 3:44.81.
Henry was impressed with Ofili's poise during a weekend with a heavy workload.
"This weekend was about showing Cindy the workload she will be taking on for the Big Ten Championships," said Henry, "Putting her on that 4x4 and letting her know that her strength is more important than her speed was something we wanted to do, and we wanted to simulate the races for the dash and hurdles. She was focused. This was probably the most focused and relaxed race she has run thus far in her career, even though it wasn't the fastest time she has run. As a whole, the race she ran was well-put together.
The B Squad of Borchers, Rodriguez, Osika and freshman Holly Petrusson also competed.
JUMPS
Sophomore Claire Kieffer-Wright placed third in the high jump, clearing 1.68 meters (5-6 ft.)
Though having fun is always a priority for the Maize and Blue, Henry sees a sharp, business-like intensity in the focus and precision the Wolverines have been practicing with of late, a sign they are keyed into their primary goal: a Big Ten title.
"It's visible in practice," he said.
"Their demeanor and the way that they go about it is business-like. We try to take things one day at a time, one workout at a time and one performance at a time. We just try to do exactly what we're doing now: staying focused on this and when it's over with we focus on what's next.
What's next for the Wolverines is the Alex Wilson Invitational, the regular-season wrap-up on the docket for next Saturday (Feb. 20), slated for an 11:00 a.m. ET start at the Loftus Sports Center on the campus of Notre Dame. The one-day meet will bring U-M to South Bend, Indiana, for the third time this indoor season, though much if not all of the Big Ten squad will not compete.
COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS
Track Events
400 meters
Emily Wee -- 55.94
800 meters
Jaimie Phelan -- 2:05.50
Shannon Osika -- 2:07.46
Gina McNamara -- 2:08.63
Mile Run
Claire Borchers -- 4:43.38
3,000 meters
Laura Addison -- 9:37.17
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
And the new SPIRE meet record goes to @cindyofili! Congrats!
-- Jeff Porter (@jeffporter1) February 13, 2016
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
Players Mentioned
