Michigan
Iowa State Classic
Another Weekend, Another School Record
2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Feb. 10, 2017
» Grant Cartwright set a weight throw career best for the fourth consecutive meet, moving closer to NCAA qualification.
» Will Sheeran nearly set a 3,000-meter career best to headline the distance runners at Iowa State.
» Action at both SPIRE and Iowa State wraps up Saturday (Feb. 11).
SPIRE DI Invitational
• Results
Site: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Institute)
Event: SPIRE DI Invitational (Day 1)
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Events: Saturday, Feb. 11 -- Day 2 at Iowa State Classic & SPIRE Invitational
GENEVA, Ohio -- The rule of thumb in 2017 has been that any time Joe Ellis steps into the ring in the weight throw, the school record is on red alert.
That once again proved true Friday (Feb. 10) as Ellis -- for the third time this season -- broke his own all-time U-M standard to headline day-one action for the No. 22-ranked University of Michigan men's track and field team at the SPIRE DI Invitational.
The sophomore exploded for a 22.11m (72-6.5) heave on his fourth of six throws to get the win, topping the record he set last month at Notre Dame by nine centimeters. The writing was on the wall that the Notre Dame mark would not last long after Ellis came within one centimeter at Akron a week ago.
With that mark, Ellis moved up into a tie for No. 6 on the national descending order list entering the weekend. That rank could change depending on the weekend's results.
Including his two meets with weight throw records and Steven Bastien's heptathlon record from a week ago, all-time U-M records have fallen in three of the past four weekends. The lone exception was the last weekend in January when neither Bastien nor Ellis was in action.
Ellis was not the only Wolverine working his way up the national weight throw standings, as Grant Cartwright threw a career-best 21.29m (69-10.25) to finish runner-up. Cartwright, who now has thrown a career best in all four of his meets this year, tentatively moved up to No. 12 depending on the results of this weekend.
NCAA Indoor Championships qualifying berths go to the top 16 athletes on the national list when the regular season ends following the Big Ten Championships weekend Feb. 24-25. Though he will not know for sure until then, Cartwright's mark would have qualified to NCAAs three of the past five years.
He will double back Saturday at noon in the shot put to see if he can work on a potential second NCAA Championships bid. He is ranked No. 16 nationally in that event.
Andrew Liskowitz continued his steady improvement, as well, throwing 17.28m (56-8.5) to finish 13th and improve on his PR by nearly half a meter. He also opened at 17.05m on his first throw for what was then a career best.
The only other action of the day at SPIRE for the Wolverines came at 200 meters, where Stephen Hagen led the way with a 22.18 to finish 23rd overall. Desmond Nicholas was 26th, and Alex Schwedt was 31st.
The SPIRE DI Invitational resumes for its second and final day at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Iowa State Classic
• Results
Site: Ames, Iowa (Lied Recreation Center)
Event: Iowa State Classic (Day 1)
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Events: Saturday, Feb. 11 -- Day 2 at Iowa State Classic & SPIRE Invitational
AMES, Iowa -- Will Sheeran nearly established a new career best over 3,000 meters to lead the U-M men's distance crew on day one at the Iowa State Classic on Friday (Feb. 10).
The graduate student transplant from Brown ran 8:07.32 to finish 11th in the meet's fastest invitational section, missing his personal-standard 8:06.60 set last season by a little less than a second. Aaron Baumgarten, who entered the weekend ranked No. 10 nationally in the event, finished 14th in the fast section.
Austin Benoit ran 8:16.81 for a career best by three seconds in the third-fastest invite section of the 3000 to round out the day. Though he had moved to third place with two laps to go, Benoit ultimately finished 10th in his section.
In the early-afternoon section of the 3,000 meters, Kyle Kroon ran 8:19.81 to finish fourth, while Kevin Hall was 14th in 8:30.58.
Micah Beller was 11th in his invitational section of the 5000, the second-fastest group of the day, running 14:21.22.
Ryan Wilkie was 10th in his section of the invitational mile in 4:12.84.
Brennan Munley and Ned Willig will race in the second- and third-fastest 800-meter sections Saturday at 4:30 p.m., while U-M action in Ames will kick off at 2 p.m. with Ben Hill, Chase Barnett, Jordy Hewitt and Matthew Plowman in the mile.
SCHOOL RECORD!! Joe Ellis throws 22.11m (72-6.5) to break his weight throw record for the 3rd time this year!! pic.twitter.com/l2PDO2YAWn
-- Michigan Track&Field (@UMichTrack) February 10, 2017
Communications Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
Players Mentioned
