Michigan
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Liskowitz's Dramatic Win Leads U-M to Second-Place Finish at Big Tens
5/16/2021 5:51:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Champaign, Ill. (Demirjian Park)
Event: Big Ten Outdoor Championships (Day 3 of 3)
U-M Result: 2nd of 13 teams (94.5 points)
Next U-M Event: Wed-Sat., May 26-29 -- at NCAA East Preliminary Rounds (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Complete Results (PDF)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- On the strength of a clutch title-winning performance from Andrew Liskowitz and a bevy of scoring performances across the board, the University of Michigan men's track and field team finished as the runner-up on the final day of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 16) at Illinois' Demirjian Park.
Liskowitz won his signature shot put event on his final event in a tiebreaker, and got big points support from bronze-medal shot put teammate John Meyer, silver-medal distance runner Nick Foster and bronze-medal hurdler Roland Amarteifio. The Wolverines also relied on seventh- and eighth-place finishes to hold off Minnesota in the team standings.
The Wolverines finished with 94.5 points, just ahead of the Golden Gophers with 88.33. Iowa was the team winner with 127.5 points. This was Michigan's best finish since another runner-up effort in 2016.
Though Liskowitz and Meyer did not match the same historic form they showed at home last weekend, they did just enough to return to Ann Arbor with a title and third-place finish for 16 points. It was the third event of the weekend in which the Wolverines scored 15 points or more, including the steeplechase (17) and decathlon (15) on Saturday.
Liskowitz took an early lead at 19.49m (63 feet, 11.5 inches), but by round three had been overtaken by Nebraska's indoor champion Burger Lambrechts Jr. at 19.99m (65-7) and Meyer at 19.76m (64-10). Meyer would not improve on that mark in the final three rounds, but Liskowitz began to build toward a big finish with consecutive 19.51m (64-0.25) and 19.75m (64-9.75). Entering the ring for his final throw still in third, Liskowitz let loose a heave of 19.99m (65-7) to match Lambrechts' best to date. The Husker closed out with a 19.70m (64-7.75) on his last attempt.
That throw ended up being the difference, as the tiebreak came down to the second-best throw for each man, and Liskowitz's 19.75m edged out Lambrechts' 19.70m for the victory.
Though Liskowitz has been a recent fixture atop the indoor Big Ten podium, this marked his first outdoor shot put title and the first for Michigan since John Nielsen in 1983.
The Wolverines racked up significant points on the track throughout the day as well, as they earned a silver and a bronze and two additional fourth-place finishes.
Foster got things going for the Wolverines on Sunday with a runner-up finish at 1,500 meters, emerging from a tightly grouped pack to break free for eight big points. He missed the victory by 0.44 seconds in 3:51.99, getting to the front of a group that ran seven-deep heading onto the final homestretch.
Teammate Tom Dodd looked set to join him in the medals with a furious finish down the straightaway, but a Nebraska runner lost his balance and bumped into Dodd, who in turn lost his balance and fell to the track within 50 meters of the finish line.
Later in the afternoon, Amartiefio posted a season's best in the 400-meter hurdles for the second time this weekend to race to the bronze medal and six points in 50.91 seconds. He edged out Iowa by 0.03 second for third, securing a crucial extra team point for the Wolverines.
This was the third straight edition of this meet in which he has scored, improving from fifth in 2018 to fourth in 2019 to third on Sunday.
Michigan also accumulated six points in the shorter 110-meter hurdles final as Josh Zeller ran a career-best 13.64 seconds (+1.2m/s) for fourth-place for five points in a tight finish and Job Mayhue was eighth for another point in 14.21. Just 0.04 seconds separated Zeller from the silver medal, and he became the fourth man in school history to run faster than 13.70 in the event.
In the open 400-meter event, Dubem Amene extended his 46-second streak to four straight races as he clocked 46.77 for fourth place. Just like Amarteifio in the hurdles, he secured an extra team point for Michigan as he passed Donnie James of Ohio State by 0.01 seconds at the finish line.
Amene and Amarteifio teamed up with Vail Hartman and Austin Lin to run 3:09.68 for fifth in the 4x400 relay to clinch the Wolverines' runner-up finish. Amene clocked a 46.03 anchor split for Michigan.
Michigan also got crucial team points from seventh- and eighth-place finishers that helped make the difference in the team race. Bera Ajala was seventh in the triple jump with a collegiate-best 15.12m (49-7.25) (+1.3m/s) for two points, Thomas Shilgalis clocked 1:50.22 for a point in an eighth-place 800-meter finish, and the duo of Oli Raimond and Joost Plaetinck were seventh and eighth at 5,000 meters for three more big points.
If not for those six points, the final margin over Minnesota would have been just 0.17 points -- or could have flipped based on if any Gophers had displaced them.
The postseason shifts gears to the NCAA level later this month, with select Wolverines to compete at the East Preliminary Rounds in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 26-29. This meet serves as the opening rounds for the NCAA Outdoor Championships to be held June 9-12 at the renovated Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
Full Michigan Results by Event
Q = automatic qualifier to final; q = at-large qualifier to final
100 meter dash
Prelims
22. Noah Stallworth / 10.84 (+0.2m/s)
200 meter dash
Prelims
20. Noah Stallworth / 21.42 (+1.3m/s) [New PR]
400 meter dash
Final
4. Dubem Amene / 46.77 [5 team pts]
Prelims
4. Dubem Amene / 46.83q
17. Austin Lin / 48.17
800 meter run
Final
8. Thomas Shilgalis / 1:50.22 [1 team pt] [New PR]
Prelims
8. Thomas Shilgalis / 1:49.52q [New PR]
12. Anthony Berry / 1:50.23
14. Derrick Simmons / 1:50.37
20. Cole Johnson / 1:50.85 [New PR]
1500 meter run
Final
2. Nick Foster / 3:51.99 [8 team pts]
12. Tom Dodd / 4:19.32
Prelims
3. Nick Foster / 3:42.94Q
10. Tom Dodd / 3:44.65Q
16. Oli Raimond / 3:45.75
Steeplechase
Final
3. Joost Plaetinck / 8:39.26 [6 team pts] [New PR]
4. Christian Hubaker / 8:43.38 [5 team pts] [New PR]
5. Austin Remick / 8:46.29 [4 team pts] [New PR]
7. Jack Spamer / 8:57.10 [2 team pts] [New PR]
11. Jacob Branch / 9:00.73 [New PR]
5000 meter run
Final
7. Oli Raimond / 14:06.96 [2 team pts]
8. Joost Plaetinck / 14:09.02 [1 team pt]
17. James Gedris / 14:36.58
25. Jack Aho / 15:02.81
10,000 meter run
Final
2. Tom Brady / 29:10.41 [8 team pts]
8. Devin Meyrer / 29:22.78 [1 team pt]
12. Jacob Lee / 29:55.17 [New PR]
15. Zach Stewart / 30:03.49
110 meter hurdles
Final
4. Josh Zeller / 13.64 (+1.2m/s) [5 team pts] [New PR]
8. Job Mayhue / 14.21 (+1.2m/s) [1 team pt]
Prelims
5. Josh Zeller / 13.78q (+0.8m/s)
8. Job Mayhue / 14.01q (+0.5m/s)
400 meter hurdles
Final
3. Roland Amarteifio / 50.91 [6 team pts]
Prelims
3. Roland Amarteifio / 50.97q
4x400 relay
Final
5. Roland Amarteifio, Dubem Amene, Vail Hartman, Austin Lin / 3:09.68
High Jump
Final
6. Max Wagner / 2.05m (6-8.75) [2.5 team pts]
12. Cassidy Henshaw / 2.00m (6-6.75)
Pole Vault
Final
12. Henry Sheldon / 5.02m (16-5.75)
Long Jump
Final
14. Cassidy Henshaw / 6.84m (22-5.25) (+0.9m/s)
Triple Jump
Final
7. Bera Ajala / 15.12m (49-7.25) (+1.3m/s) [2 team pts] [New PR]
Shot Put
Final
1. Andrew Liskowitz / 19.99m (65-7) [10 team pts]
3. John Meyer / 19.76m (64-10) [6 team pts]
Decathlon
Final (Friday/Saturday)
1. Ayden Owens / 8,238 points
100 meter dash / 10.40 (+1.5m/s) (999 pts) [New PR] / Place: 1
Long Jump / 7.47m (24-6) (+1.4m/s) (927 pts) / Place: 3
Shot Put / 14.41m (47-3.25) (753 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
High Jump / 1.85m (6-0.75) (670 pts) / Place: 9
400 meter dash / 46.78 (969 pts) [New PR] / Place: 1
110 meter hurdles / 13.98 (+1.9m/s) (977 pts) / Place: 1
Discus / 39.91m (130-11) (663 pts) / Place: 8
Pole Vault / 4.70m (15-5) (819 pts) [New PR] / Place: 4
Javelin / 55.71m (182-9) (674 pts) [New PR] / Place: 5
1500 meter run / 4:23.57 (787 pts) [New PR] / Place: 1
5. Heath Baldwin / 7,611 points
100 meter dash / 11.24 (+0.9m/s) (808 pts) [New PR] / Place: 11
Long Jump / 6.93m (22-8.75) (+1.6m/s) (797 pts) [New PR] / Place: 6
Shot Put / 13.29m (43-7.25) (685 pts) / Place: 6
High Jump / 2.09m (6-10.25) (887 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
400 meter dash / 51.24 (758 pts) [New PR] / Place: 11
110 meter hurdles / 14.45 (+1.9m/s) (917 pts) / Place: 3
Discus / 34.79m (114-1) (559 pts) / Place: 13
Pole Vault / 4.40m (14-5.25) (731 pts) / Place: 10
Javelin / 62.83m (206-1) (781 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
1500 meter run / 4:38.80 (688 pts) [New PR] / Place: 5
8. Mason Mahacek / 7,420 points
100 meter dash / 11.03 (+0.9m/s) (854 pts) [New PR] / Place: 5
Long Jump / 6.90m (22-7.75) (790 pts) [New PR] / Place: 8
Shot Put / 11.58m (38-0) (581 pts) [New PR] / Place: 15
High Jump / 2.06m (6-9) (859 pts) [New PR] / Place: 4
400 meter dash / 49.31 (847 pts) [New PR] / Place: 4
110 meter hurdles / 15.78 (+2.9m/s) (758 pts) [New PR] / Place: 13
Discus / 37.70m (123-8) (618 pts) [New PR] / Place: 11
Pole Vault / 4.80m (15-9) (849 pts) [New PR] / Place: 3
Javelin / 43.32m (142-1) (490 pts) [New PR] / Place: 12
1500 meter run / 4:25.58 (774 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
Players Mentioned
