Ellis Flexes Weight Throw Muscle at Vanderbilt

Friday, February 8

Nashville, Tenn.

3:30 PM CT

Michigan

Music City Challenge

Joe Ellis

2/8/2019 10:39:00 PM | Men's Track & Field

By: Kyle Terwillegar

ANN ARBOR -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team kicked off its two-day weekend in historic style on Friday (Feb. 8) at both the Vanderbilt Music City Challenge and the Iowa State Classic.

Though weight thrower Joe Ellis did not ultimately topple his own school record, he did muster two of the three best throws of his career in a runner-up finish at Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, distance runner Jack Aho posted his second all-time top-15 Michigan school history performance in the past three weeks at Iowa State.

More information on both meets can be found below.

Action resumes Saturday for both meets, beginning at 1 p.m. CST at Iowa State and 1:20 p.m. CST at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt Music City Challenge

Site: Nashville, Tenn. (Vanderbilt Student Rec Center)
Event: Music City Challenge
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 9 – at Vanderbilt Music City Challenge (Nashville, Tenn.), 1:20 CST

Joe Ellis had the best day of his 2019 season -- and one of the best of his career -- in the weight throw as he heaved a season's best 23.59m (77 feet, 3.75 inches) and notched two more attempts near to or farther than 23 meters.

Ellis started the roll of his momentum in the third round when he threw a then-season-best 22.98m (75-4.75). At that point, he found himself with a narrow one-centimeter lead over unattached Daniel Haugh and a two-centimeter advantage over former teammate and current volunteer coach Grant Cartwright.

That carried into the three-throw final, which Ellis kicked off with another then-season-best 23.39m (76-9) in round four. His best of the day came in round five, in response to a 23.65m (77-7.25) mark by Cartwright that gave him the lead. The mark was just nine centimeters shy of his school record from last year's Big Ten Indoor Championships.

Ellis fouled on his final attempt, leaving him runner-up to Cartwright for the third time this season. Still, not only did he improve to No. 2 in the country, but no one in the country in 2019 has posted a pair of throws with a farther combined total distance.

Manning Plater continued to show development in the event, topping out at 19.37m (63-6.75) for seventh-place as one of three throws at 19 meters or farther.

With most of the Wolverines other entries scheduled for Saturday, other highlights in limited Friday action for Michigan included eighth-place finishes by Joe McCarthy at 200 meters (21.84) and Brandon Piwinski in the high jump (2.02m/6-7.5).

U-M's final day of action at Vanderbilt begins at 1:20 p.m. CST, with the prelims in the 60-meter hurdles. In addition to the hurdles quartet of Roland Amarteifio, Sierra Hendrix-Williams, Job Mayhue and Noah Caudy, Saturday will also see school-record shot putter Andrew Liskowitz and nationally-ranked triple jumper Daniel Butael in action.

Full Michigan results can be found at the bottom of the article.

Iowa State Classic

Site: Ames, Iowa (Lied Recreation Center)
Event: Iowa State Classic
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 9 -- Iowa State Classic (Ames, Iowa), 1 p.m. CST

Jack Aho just missed the 14-minute threshold at 5,000 meters, but still managed to check in at No. 11 in Michigan history in the event with a 14:02.28 clocking in the invitational section of the race.

Aho, a cross country All-American who two weeks ago moved to No. 13 in school history at 3,000 meters, kept pace with the lightning-quick field for the first two miles of the race as it came through the split in just under 8:50. With each successive lap, however, Aho fell further off the pace. He was able to rally on the final lap but just missed becoming the 11th man in school history to go sub-14:00 for the distance indoors.

In the earlier sections of the 5,000 meters, Baylor transfer Devin Meyrer made his proper Michigan debut after serving as a pacer last weekend, clocking 14:12.37 for 18th overall in the non-invitational competition and fourth in his race.

The day kicked off in the afternoon session with Will Landowne and Lewis Tate both turning in career-best runs for 3,000 meters, in 8:17.14 and 8:21.92, respectively. Christian Hubaker followed up in the evening session with his own career-best of 8:21.00.

Action will resume at Iowa State at 1 p.m. CST as the Wolverine milers take to the track, including sub-four-minute mile attempts by Chase Barnett and Ben Hill at 1:20 p.m.

Collegiate Career-Best Performances

Career debuts not included

Christian Hubaker -- 8:21.00 / 3000m (I)
Will Landowne -- 8:17.14 / 3000m (I)
Lewis Tate -- 8:21.92 / 3000m (I)

Full Michigan Results by Event

Q = Automatic qualifier into final; q = non-automatic qualifier into final

60 Meters (at Vanderbilt)
Prelims and Final to be contested Saturday

200 Meters (at Vanderbilt)
8. Joe McCarthy / 21.84
27. Desmond Melson / 22.85

400 Meters (at Vanderbilt)
To be contested Saturday

800 Meters (at Iowa State)
To be contested Saturday

Mile (at Iowa State)
To be contested Saturday

3,000 Meters (at Iowa State)
NON-INVITATIONAL SECTIONS
21. Will Landowne / 8:17.14
31. Christian Hubaker / 8:21.00
33. Lewis Tate / 8:21.92

5,000 Meters (at Iowa State)
INVITATIONAL SECTION
12. Jack Aho / 14:02.28