Olympians, Olympic Hopefuls to Compete at Power Five Invite
1/30/2020 10:48:00 AM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field, Olympics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Long before the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games this July and August, track and field fans will have the opportunity this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 31-Feb. 1) to watch numerous Olympians and Olympic hopefuls in-person at the University of Michigan track and field teams' Power Five Invitational.
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix and U-M alumnae Cindy Ofili and Tiffany Porter, sisters who represent Great Britain, are among six 2016 Olympic finalists currently entered to compete at the state-of-the-art U-M Indoor Track Building this weekend.
Canadian Olympians Melissa Bishop-Nriagu and Noelle Montcalm and American Deajah Stevens are also slated to run.
The list of Olympic hopefuls set to compete is even longer, headlined by distance runner Mary Cain (USA). The former teen sensation, now age 23, is gearing up to make a run at her first Olympic Games this summer.
Michigan alums Shannon Osika (USA), Amanda Eccleston (USA), Jaimie Phelan (Canada), Erin Finn (USA), Mason Ferlic (USA), Steven Bastien (USA) and Joe Ellis (Great Britain) are also building up to pushes toward Tokyo.
The field will also feature the reigning national 800-meter champions of Canada and Barbados in Madeleine Kelly and Sonia Gaskin, respectively, as well as 2019 NCAA 3,000-meter steeplechase champion Steven Fahy (USA).
The spotlight race of the weekend will be the women's 800 meters as Bishop-Nriagu, Osika, Eccleston, Kelly and Gaskin -- all of whom have run 2:03 or faster in their careers -- square off against one another.
All are expected to compete in the state-of-the-art U-M Indoor Track Building, featuring its 200-meter banked hydraulic track and spectator seating for more than 2,000 fans. The facility is in its third season of operation after first opening its doors in the winter of 2018.
A full schedule of the post-collegians slated to compete can be found below, followed by information on each of the featured Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.
| LEGEND | |||
| Olympian | Featured Olympic Hopeful | U-M Alum Olympic Hopeful | |
| Friday Competitors | |||
| Name | Event | Round | Time (ET) |
| Rami Gharsali | Men's 60 hurdles | Prelims | 4:20 PM |
| Steven Bastien | Men's 60 hurdles | Prelims | 4:20 PM |
| Cindy Ofili | Women's 60 hurdles | Prelims | 4:30 PM |
| Tiffany Porter | Women's 60 hurdles | Prelims | 4:30 PM |
| Madison Gipson | Women's 60 hurdles | Prelims | 4:30 PM |
| Maya Aviezer | Women's 60 hurdles | Prelims | 4:30 PM |
| Allyson Felix | Women's 60 meters | Prelims | 4:50 PM |
| Deajah Stevens | Women's 60 meters | Prelims | 4:50 PM |
| Erin Finn | Women's 5000 meters | Final | 5:10 PM |
| Saturday Competitors | |||
| Name | Event | Round | Time (ET) |
| Melanie Winters | Women's Long Jump | Final | 11:00 AM |
| Patrick Cochran | Men's Long Jump | Final | 11:00 AM |
| Joe Ellis | Men's Weight Throw | Final | 11:00 AM |
| Cindy Ofili | Women's 60 hurdles | Final | 12:00 PM |
| Tiffany Porter | Women's 60 hurdles | Final | 12:00 PM |
| Madison Gipson | Women's 60 hurdles | Final | 12:00 PM |
| Maya Aviezer | Women's 60 hurdles | Final | 12:00 PM |
| Rami Gharsali | Men's 60 hurdles | Final | 12:05 PM |
| Steven Bastien | Men's 60 hurdles | Final | 12:05 PM |
| Allyson Felix | Women's 60 meters | Final | 12:10 PM |
| Deajah Stevens | Women's 60 meters | Final | 12:10 PM |
| Steven Bastien | Men's Pole Vault | Final | 12:30 PM |
| Leah O'Connor | Women's Mile | Final | 12:35 PM |
| Mackenzie Andrews | Women's Mile | Final | 12:35 PM |
| Mary Cain | Women's Mile | Final | 12:35 PM |
| Julie-Ann Staehli | Women's Mile | Final | 12:35 PM |
| Jaimie Phelan | Women's Mile | Final | 12:35 PM |
| Steven Fahy | Men's Mile | Final | 12:56 PM |
| Wuoi Mach | Men's Mile | Final | 12:56 PM |
| Noelle Montcalm | Women's 400 meters | Final | 1:10 PM |
| Melissa Bishop-Nriagu | Women's 800 meters | Final | 1:42 PM |
| Sonia Gaskin | Women's 800 meters | Final | 1:42 PM |
| Shannon Osika | Women's 800 meters | Final | 1:42 PM |
| Madeleine Kelly | Women's 800 meters | Final | 1:42 PM |
| Amanda Eccleston | Women's 800 meters | Final | 1:42 PM |
| Sergio Miranda | Men's 800 meters | Final | 2:02 PM |
| Cindy Ofili | Women's 200 meters | Final | 2:07 PM |
| Jessica Harris | Women's 3000 meters | Final | 2:36 PM |
| Lauren Johnson | Women's 3000 meters | Final | 2:36 PM |
| Emily Oren | Women's 3000 meters | Final | 2:36 PM |
| Mason Ferlic | Men's 3000 meters | Final | 2:51 PM |
OLYMPIANS
Allyson Felix (USA)
Most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history … Nine-time Olympic medalist, including six gold medals and three silver medals … Competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics … 12-time IAAF World Championships gold medalist outdoors … 10-time USATF national champion between 100, 200 and 400 meters … Member of the world-record 4x100 relay from the 2012 Olympics and the world-record mixed 4x400 relay
Cindy Ofili (Great Britain)
Finished fourth in the 2016 Rio Olympics 100-meter hurdles final … 2016 NCAA Indoor 60-meter hurdles champion for the University of Michigan … At U-M, a five-time USTFCCCA All-American and five-time Big Ten champion … Holds the U-M school records in the indoor 60 meters, indoor 200 meters, indoor 60-meter hurdles, outdoor 100 meters, outdoor 100-meter hurdles and outdoor 4x400 relay
Tiffany Porter (Great Britain)
Finished seventh in the 2016 Rio Olympics 100-meter hurdles final … Semifinalist in the 2012 London Olympics 100-meter hurdles … Three-time global medalist in the indoor 60-meter hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, including silver in 2012 and bronze in both 2014 and 2016 … Three-time IAAF World Championships finalist in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, including a bronze medal in 2013 … Five-time NCAA champion in the 100-meter hurdles during her time at Michigan
Melissa Bishop-Nriagu (Canada)
Finished fourth in the 2016 Rio Olympics 800-meter final … Competed at the 2012 London Olympics over 800 meters … Silver medalist over 800 meters at the 2015 IAAF World Championships, and fifth-place at the 2017 IAAF World Championships … Gold medalist at the 2015 Pan-American Games over 800 meters … Canadian record-holder in the outdoor 800 meters in 1:57.01 and No. 2 in Canadian history indoors at 2:00.19.
Deajah Stevens (USA)
Finished seventh in the 2016 Rio Olympics 200-meter final … Finished fifth at the 2017 IAAF World Championships over 200 meters … Won the 2017 USATF national title at 200 meters … Ranked No. 3 in collegiate history competing for Oregon and No. 15 in American history over 200 meters (22.09).
Noelle Montcalm (Canada)
Semifinalist in the 2016 Rio Olympics 400-meter hurdles competition … Ran the third leg of the Canadian 4x400 relay team that finished fourth in the 2016 Rio Olympics 4x400 relay final … Four-time Canadian champion in the 400-meter hurdles
FEATURED OLYMPIC HOPEFULS
Mary Cain (USA)
World U20 indoor record-holder for 1,000 meters … American U20 indoor record-holder for 1,500 meters, the mile, and two miles … USATF Indoor national champion in the 1,500 meters and mile … Gold medalist at the 2014 World U20 Championships over 3,000 meters … Sixth-fastest woman in American history both in the mile and at 1,000 meters
Shannon Osika (USA)
Silver medalist in the 2018 NACAC Championships 1,500-meter final … 11th-fastest woman in American history in the indoor mile (4:25.71) … 15th-fastest woman in American history at 1,500 meters (4:01.80) … Bronze medalist in the 2018 USATF Indoor Championships 1,500-meter final … At Michigan, a six-time USTFCCCA All-American and five-time Big Ten champion.
Amanda Eccleston (USA)
Fourth at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1,500-meter finals, missing Team USA by a single spot … Bronze medalist at the 2016 USATF Indoor Championships over 1,500 meters … 16th-fastest woman in American history in the indoor mile … 24th-fastest woman in American history outdoors over 1,500 meters … At U-M, a national champion in the distance medley relay, a two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion.
Madeleine Kelly (Canada)
Gold medalist at the 2019 Canadian Championships over 800 meters … 15th-fastest woman in Canadian history at 800 meters outdoors.
Sonia Gaskin (Barbados)
Four-time Barbados national champion over 800 meters (2017, 2017, 2015, 2012) … Barbados national record-holder indoors over 800 meters (2:06.35) … Ranked second in Barbados history outdoors over 800 meters (2:03.13).
Mason Ferlic (USA)
NCAA champion in the 2016 3,000-meter steeplechase … Finished fifth in the steeplechase at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and the 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships … Represented team USA at the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
Steven Fahy (USA)
NCAA champion in the 2019 3,000-meter steeplechase … All-American in the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships 5,000 meters
U-M ALUMNI OLYMPIC HOPEFULS
Erin Finn (USA)
2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier at 10,000 meters … Four-time NCAA Championships runner-up … Nine-time USTFCCCA All-American … 10-time Big Ten champion
Jaimie Phelan (Canada)
2017 NCAA champion at 1,500 meters … Five-time USTFCCCA All-American … Three-time Big Ten champion
Joe Ellis (Great Britain)
Five-time USTFCCCA All-American between the weight throw and hammer throw … Three-time Big Ten champion
Steven Bastien (USA)
Five-time USTFCCCA All-American between the decathlon and heptathlon … 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the decathlon … Two-time Big Ten champion … 2018 Thorpe Cup champion in the decathlon and three-time Thorpe Cup competitor for Team USA
