Michigan
Rod McCravy Memorial
Zeller Leads Michigan on Day One at Kentucky
1/28/2022 8:51:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Lexington, Ky. (Nutter Fieldhouse)
Event: Rod McCravy Memorial (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 29 -- at Rod McCravy Memorial - Day 2 (Lexington, Ky.), 9:30 a.m.; at Indiana Relays - Day 2 (Bloomington, Ind.), 12:55 p.m.
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Hurdler Joshua Zeller continued his stellar 2022 indoor campaign on Friday (Jan. 28) and set himself up for additional fast times Saturday as the University of Michigan men's track and field team kicked off the first day of competition at the Kentucky Rod McCravy Memorial.
Zeller clocked 7.81 seconds in the prelims of his signature indoor 60-meter hurdles competition to lead all competitors by nearly one-tenth of a second, giving him momentum heading into the semifinals and potentially final on Saturday.
He will be joined in the semifinals by teammate Job Mayhue, who clocked 8.15 seconds.
Also setting himself up for a strong second day in Lexington was heptathlete Mason Mahacek, who closed out the first of two days of heptathlon competition with 2,994 points in fifth place overall after a string of performances at or near career-best caliber.
Mahacek opened the day just .01 seconds off his career best at 60 meters with a 7.23 run for 802 points. He followed that with an indoor career-best 6.76m (22 feet, 2.25 inches) in the long jump to add 757 points.
Needing a big throw on his third-and-final attempt in the shot put, he uncorked a 12.25m (40 feet, 2.25 inch) heave that came within 12 centimeters of his career best and netted him 622 points -- nearly 40 more than his next-best throw would have earned him.
He closed out the day with a solid 2.01m (6 feet, 7.25 inches) make in the high jump for 813 points, bringing him to 2,994 total through the first four of seven events. It was his best-ever first day of a heptathlon, surpassing the 2,940 points he scored on day one at the 2020 Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Day two begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday (Jan. 29) with the 60-meter hurdles, followed by the pole vault and the finale 1,000 meters.
Elsewhere in the field, Cassidy Henshaw registered a third-place finish in the high jump, and both Eli Winter and Tony Sommers made the finals of the weight throw competition with seventh- and eighth-place showings.
In addition to the second-and-final day of competition at Kentucky on Saturday, the Michigan men's distance squad will also be in action Saturday at the Indiana Relays.
Michigan Results by Event
 q = qualified for next round
200 meter dash
Final
25. Jacob Koerner / 22.18
29. Jack Juds / 22.62
60 meter hurdles
Prelims
1. Joshua Zeller / 7.81Q
13. Job Mayhue / 8.15q
High Jump
Final
3. Cassidy Henshaw / 2.05m (6-8.75)
Weight Throw
Final
7. Eli Winter / 18.48m (60-7.5)
8. Tony Sommers / 17.52m (57-5.75)
Heptathlon
Through 4 of 7 events
5. Mason Mahacek / 2,994 points
Mason Mahacek
60 meter dash / 7.23 (802 pts) / Place: 4
Long Jump / 6.76m (22-2.25) (757 pts) [New PR] / Place: 5
Shot Put / 12.25m (40-2.25) (622 pts) / Place: 5
High Jump / 2.01m (6-7.25) (813 pts) / Place: 2
Players Mentioned
