Michigan
Virginia Challenge
Wolverines Ready for Final Regular-Season Push at Virginia, Stanford
4/18/2019 2:41:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
» UPDATE: Inclement weather at Virginia has forced the postponement of Friday's evening session. The postponed events have been integrated into the Saturday schedule. The schedule of Michigan competitors in this article has been updated accordingly.
» The University of Michigan men's track and field team will make one final regular-season road trip, with the squad split between the Virginia Challenge and the Stanford Cardinal Classic on Friday and Saturday (April 19-20).
» Michigan's sprinters, jumpers and throwers will compete at Virginia, including top-ranked Wolverines Joe Ellis, Andrew Liskowitz, Taylor McLaughlin and Roland Amarteifio.
» Michigan's distance squad will be in action at Stanford, including top-ranked Wolverines Ben Hill, Jack Aho and Devin Meyrer.
THIS WEEK
Fri-Sat., April 19-20 -- at Virginia Challenge (Charlottesville, Va.)
Live Results | Meet Central
Fri-Sat., April 19-20 -- at Stanford Cardinal Classic (Palo Alto, Calif.)
TV: FloTrack Pro | Live Results | Live Video | Meet Central
• Social Media:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team is going coast-to-coast this Friday and Saturday (April 19-20) for its final major weekend of competition ahead of the postseason next month.
Action at Virginia begins Friday with a morning session starting at 9 a.m. followed by an evening session beginning at 6 p.m. Running out west at Stanford gets underway for Michigan on Friday at 7:09 p.m. PDT.
Competition resumes in Charlottesville on Saturday with an early session starting at 10 a.m. and an evening finale commencing at 6 p.m. The final day of events at Stanford kicks off at 4:59 p.m. PDT.
Michigan's sprinters, jumpers and throwers will compete at the Virginia Challenge, while the distance corps will make a return trip to Stanford for the Cardinal Classic.
Among those expected to compete at Virginia are All-Americans Joe Ellis, Andrew Liskowitz and Taylor McLaughlin, as well as up-and-comers Roland Amarteifio and Job Mayhue. The Stanford crew will be headlined by All-American Jack Aho and 2019 standouts Ben Hill and Devin Meyrer.
The full schedule of competitors -- including several featured events to keep an eye on -- can be found below, followed by the latest news and notes for the 2019 season to date.
With national-caliber opposition expected at both meets, the Wolverines will be tested for the final time this regular season before the Big Ten Championships at Iowa on May 10-12. All that remains between this weekend and the conference meet is the new U-M outdoor facility's first-ever home meet -- the Len Paddock Open -- on Friday, May 3. The meet will serve as a final tune-up ahead of Big Tens.
Fans can follow both meets through live results, with Flash Results carrying the Virginia Challenge results and Record Timing providing the Cardinal Classic results. FloTrack is webcasting the Cardinal Classic on its subscription streaming service.
Updates throughout the weekend can be found on the track and field program's official Twitter account, @umichtrack.
Wolverines to Watch
• All-American hammer thrower Joe Ellis will look to build on his best-ever season debut a week ago in the invitational section of the Virginia Challenge hammer throw Saturday starting at 8:15 p.m. Ranked No. 10 nationally, Ellis will face a field that includes three men ranked ahead of him.
• Similar to Ellis, All-American shot putter Andrew Liskowitz also is looking to keep his momentum rolling after a career-best debut. He will throw in the invitational shot put at the Virginia Challenge on Friday starting at 8 p.m.
• Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Champion Taylor McLaughlin is scheduled to make his season debut in the 400-meter hurdles on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. in the invitational sections at the Virginia Challenge. He will provide an additional jolt of energy to Roland Amarteifio and what has, despite his early-season absence, been one of the best 400 hurdle crews in the country.
• Amarteifio also will be part of a 110-meter hurdles crew fans should keep their eyes on. Led by breakthrough freshman star Job Mayhue, those two and Sierra Hendrix-Williams will look to take another step toward the top of the Big Ten rankings Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Virginia Challenge.
• Friday's action at Stanford is headlined by the 5,000-meter run, featuring cross country All-American Jack Aho and 10,000-meter standout Devin Meyrer, starting at 7:33 p.m. PDT. Saturday features Hill in the invitational section of the 1,500 meters at 7:09 p.m. PDT, as well as breakthrough steeplechaser Lewis Tate's second-ever run in the event at 4:59 p.m. PDT.
When to Watch the Wolverines
| Friday (April 19) | Event | Round | Time (ET) | Meet |
| Jack Lint | Pole Vault | Final | 9:00 AM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | 100-meter dash | Decathlon | 9:15 AM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Long Jump | Decathlon | 10:00 AM | Virginia |
| Stephen Hagen | 100-meter dash | Final | 10:15 AM | Virginia |
| Desmond Nicholas | 100-meter dash | Final | 10:15 AM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Shot Put | Decathlon | 11:15 AM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | High Jump | Decathlon | 12:30 PM | Virginia |
| Manning Plater | Hammer Throw | Final | 1:45 PM | Virginia |
| Jack Lint | 400-meter dash | Final | 2:32 PM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | 400-meter dash | Decathlon | 3:00 PM | Virginia |
| Matt Plowman | 800-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:09 PM | Stanford |
| Derrick Simmons | 800-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:09 PM | Stanford |
| Jack Aho | 5,000-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:33 PM | Stanford |
| Isaac Harding | 5,000-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:33 PM | Stanford |
| Will Landowne | 5,000-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:33 PM | Stanford |
| Jacob Lee | 5,000-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:33 PM | Stanford |
| Devin Meyrer | 5,000-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:33 PM | Stanford |
| Gabe Mudel | 5,000-meter run | Final (Section 2) | 10:33 PM | Stanford |
| Saturday (April 20) | Event | Round | Time (ET) | Meet |
| Andrew Liskowitz | Discus | Final | 9:00 AM | Virginia |
| Manning Plater | Discus | Final | 9:00 AM | Virginia |
| Daniel Butael | Long Jump | Final | 10:00 AM | Virginia |
| Jack Lint | Long Jump | Final | 10:00 AM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | 110 meter hurdles | Decathlon | 10:15 AM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Discus | Decathlon | 11:00 AM | Virginia |
| Alex Klemm | High Jump | Final | 12:30 PM | Virginia |
| Max Wagner | High Jump | Final | 12:30 PM | Virginia |
| Roland Amarteifio | 110 meter hurdles | Final | 1:00 PM | Virginia |
| Sierra Hendrix-Williams | 110 meter hurdles | Final | 1:00 PM | Virginia |
| Jack Lint | 110 meter hurdles | Final | 1:00 PM | Virginia |
| Job Mayhue | 110 meter hurdles | Final | 1:00 PM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Pole Vault | Decathlon | 1:00 PM | Virginia |
| Josiah Carpenter | 200 meter dash | Final | 2:45 PM | Virginia |
| Joe McCarthy | 200 meter dash | Final | 2:45 PM | Virginia |
| Desmond Melson | 200 meter dash | Final | 2:45 PM | Virginia |
| Desmond Nicholas | 200 meter dash | Final | 2:45 PM | Virginia |
| Job Mayhue | 400 meter hurdles | Final | 3:10 PM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Javelin | Decathlon | 3:30 PM | Virginia |
| Relay, 4x100 | 4x100 relay | Final | 4:15 PM | Virginia |
| Daniel Butael | Triple Jump | Final (Invite) | 5:00 PM | Virginia |
| Ian Davis | 400 meter dash | Final (Invite) | 5:25 PM | Virginia |
| Vail Hartman | 400 meter dash | Final (Invite) | 5:25 PM | Virginia |
| Desmond Melson | 400 meter dash | Final (Invite) | 5:25 PM | Virginia |
| Alex Schwedt | 400 meter dash | Final (Invite) | 5:25 PM | Virginia |
| Manning Plater | Hammer Throw | Final | 5:45 PM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | 1500 meter run | Decathlon | 6:00 PM | Virginia |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Decathlon | Final | 6:01 PM | Virginia |
| Roland Amarteifio | 400 meter hurdles | Final (Invite) | 6:10 PM | Virginia |
| Noah Caudy | 400 meter hurdles | Final (Invite) | 6:10 PM | Virginia |
| Sean Marshall | 400 meter hurdles | Final (Invite) | 6:10 PM | Virginia |
| Taylor McLaughlin | 400 meter hurdles | Final (Invite) | 6:10 PM | Virginia |
| Andrew Liskowitz | Shot Put | Final (Invite) | 6:30 PM | Virginia |
| Joe Ellis | Hammer Throw | Final (Invite) | 7:00 PM | Virginia |
| Relay A, 4x400 | 4x400 relay | Final | 7:28 PM | Virginia |
| Lewis Tate | Steeplechase | Final | 7:59 PM | Stanford |
| Christian Hubaker | Steeplechase | Final | 9:16 PM | Stanford |
| Ryan Wilkie | 1500 meter run | Final (Section 3) | 9:43 PM | Stanford |
| Cole Johnson | 1500 meter run | Final (Section 3) | 9:56 PM | Stanford |
| Ben Hill | 1500 meter run | Final (Invite) | 10:09 PM | Stanford |
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverine men are currently ranked No. 27 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Rating Index and tied for No. 18 in the FloTrack team rankings.
• FloTrack is projecting three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion Taylor McLaughlin as the early-season favorite for the national title in the 400-meter hurdles. He is expected to make his 2019 debut in his signature event this weekend.
• Flotrack is also projecting Big Ten champion throwers Joe Ellis and Andrew Liskowitz to finish top-10 nationally. A first team All-American in the hammer throw in 2017, Ellis is predicted to finish fifth in 2019, while the three-time second team All-American shot putter Liskowitz is ranked 10th. Decathlete Jack Lint is projected 14th in his signature event.
• Lint has been the Wolverines' top performer nationally so far in 2019. The graduate transfer scored a career-best 7.596 points to win the Jim Click Shootout (April 4-5) decathlon title, moving him to No. 4 in the country. The score puts him in strong position to qualify for the NCAA Championships in June. Below is a list of the Wolverines ranked top-50 nationally heading into this weekend.
5. Jack Lint / Decathlon / 7,596 points
10. Joe Ellis / Hammer Throw / 70.59m (231-7)
20. Andrew Liskowitz / Shot Put / 19.21m (63-0.25)
23. Roland Amarteifio / 400-meter hurdles / 51.47
32. Job Mayhue / 110-meter hurdles / 13.99
38. Ben Hill / 1,500 meters / 3:44.97
46. Devin Meyrer / 10,000 meters / 29:17.39
47. Joost Plaetinck / Steeplechase / 9:00.58
• Through just one weekend of competition, both Ellis and Liskowitz are off to career-best starts. Not only was Ellis' hammer throw mark at the Triton Invitational (April 13) the farthest season-opening mark of his career, he also crossed 70 meters three times on the day. Liskowitz twice exceeded his previous career-best season-opening mark in the shot put, as well.
• Amarteifio is integral to what has become one of the best hurdle corps in the country this young 2019 outdoor season. Even without the three-time All-American McLaughlin having debuted yet, the 400-meter hurdles group of Amarteifio, Noah Caudy, Job Mayhue and Sean Marshall is ranked as the sixth-best quartet in the event nationally in the USTFCCCA Event Squad rankings. Mayhue had a breakthrough at Louisville last Saturday, leading a quartet with Amarteifio, Sierra Hendrix-Williams and Lint ranked fifth in the country.
• The Michigan distance crew also has been strong early in 2019. The young debuting quartet of steeplechase runners Joost Plaetinck, Lewis Tate, Christian Hubaker and Dominic Dimambro -- none among them higher than sophomore eligibility -- are ranked No. 3 nationally in the Event Squad Rankings. The quartet of Jack Aho, Isaac Harding, Jacob Lee and Will Landowne have the Wolverines ranked No. 9 nationally at 5,000 meters.
• All of the aforementioned Wolverines and more are hoping to qualify for the NCAA Championships, but they will first have to make it through the NCAA East Preliminaries in late May. Qualification for the East Prelims requires a student-athlete to be among the 48 highest-ranked athletes in the East Region who declare to compete in a given event. With some who choose to not declare -- for instance, those who rank highly in multiple events who choose to focus on a different event -- the actual rank of those who qualify can dip into the 50s and potentially the 60s.
• Below is a list of where Michigan men currently rank in the NCAA East Region, along with the performance that ultimately served as the 48th and final performance accepted into the Prelims for context. They are separated into five categories of likelihood of eventual qualification, based on previous years' last qualifying marks and how the events are shaping up across the region in 2019.
Locks to Qualify
8. Joe Ellis, Hammer Throw - 70.59m (2018 Final Qualifier: 59.87m)
8. Andrew Liskowitz, Shot Put - 19.21m (2018 Final Qualifier: 17.15m)
9. Roland Amarteifio, 400 hurdles - 51.47 (2018 Final Qualifier: 52.30)
Strong Position to Qualify
17. Job Mayhue, 110 hurdles - 13.99 (2018 Final Qualifier: 14.07)
17. Devin Meyrer, 10000 meters - 29:17.39 (2018 Final Qualifier: 29:59.37)
24. Manning Plater, Discus Throw - 53.39m (2018 Final Qualifier: 51.39m)
26. Manning Plater, Hammer Throw - 60.83m (2018 Final Qualifier: 59.87m)
Likely to Qualify
23. Ben Hill, 1500 meters - 3:44.97 (2018 Final Qualifier: 3:45.82)
32. Jack Aho, 5000 meters - 14:09.29 (2018 Final Qualifier: 14:16.50)
On the Bubble
23. Joost Plaetinck, Steeplechase - 9:00.58 (2018 Final Qualifier: 9:03.39)
29. Lewis Tate, Steeplechase - 9:03.31 (2018 Final Qualifier: 9:03.39)
24. Andrew Liskowitz, Discus Throw - 52.40m (2018 Final Qualifier: 51.39m)
Currently Outside the Bubble
28. Max Wagner, High Jump - 2.10m (2018 Final Qualifier: 2.11m)
42. Daniel Butael, Triple Jump - 15.10m (2018 Final Qualifier: 15.23m)
42. Sierra Hendrix-Williams, 110 hurdles - 14.18 (2018 Final Qualifier: 14.07)
46. Roland Amarteifio, 110 hurdles - 14.21 (2018 Final Qualifier: 14.07)
47. Noah Caudy, 400 hurdles - 52.95 (2018 Final Qualifier: 52.30)
• Numerous Wolverines are ranked top-10 among Big Ten competitors so far this young season. Student-athletes who finish top-eight in their respective events at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in May will earn points for their teams in the overall standings that decide the team champion. Below is a list of where the Wolverines currently are ranked relative to their conference rivals to this point.
1. Jack Lint - Decathlon
2. Devin Meyrer - 10,000 meters
2. Andrew Liskowitz - Shot Put
2. Joe Ellis - Hammer Throw
3. Roland Amarteifio - 400-meter hurdles
5. Job Mayhue - 110-meter hurdles
6. Jack Aho - 5,000 meters
6. Joost Plaetinck - Steeplechase
6. Daniel Butael - Long Jump
7. Lewis Tate - Steeplechase
8. Michigan - 4x400 relay
8. Max Wagner - High Jump
8. Manning Plater - Discus
8. Manning Plater - Hammer Throw
9. Isaac Harding - 5,000 meters
9. Sierra Hendrix-Williams - 110-meter hurdles
9. Michigan - 4x100 relay
9. Daniel Butael - Triple Jump
10. Ben Hill - 1,500 meters
10. Roland Amarteifio - 110-meter hurdles
Players Mentioned
