Jan. 24, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Listen To Spartan Sports Podcast
Head Coach Walt Drenth

NOTRE DAME INVITATIONAL
Michigan State travels to South Bend, Ind., on Friday, Jan. 25 to compete against the Irish in the Notre Dame Invitational.

LAST WEEKEND
The Michigan State men's team finished behind the University of Akron, taking second place with a total of 83 points at last weekend's Akron Quad. Red-shirt junior Jeremy Orr came in first in the 60m (6.83) and the 200m (21.33), placing first in both events for the second consecutive week.

Other top finishers for the men included junior Michael Smoot, winning the 400m dash with a time of 49.51. Sophomore Dan Lewis placed first in the mile run (4:18.07), while sophomore Spencer Beatty finished with a time of 8:35.63 in the 3000m run, also finishing first. The weight throw was dominated by the Spartan men, as red-shirt junior Kyle Strotbaum finished first for the second consecutive week with a throw of 17.61m (57ft-9.5in), while red-shirt sophomore John Barrett (16.03/52ft-7.25in) and sophomore Anthony Agrusa (15.72m/51ft-7in) finished second and third, respectively.

The MSU women's team placed third (100), behind second-place Akron (138), and first-place Michigan (170). Michigan State senior Lisa Senakiewich took home first place in the 3000m run, finishing with a time of 9:45.79. Senior Meagan Halliwill finished with a weight throw of 18.23m (59ft-9.75in), taking second place, and recording her third top-two finish in the last three competitions, including two first place finishes.

WHO TO WATCH FOR
Meagan Halliwill has already thrown further in the first three meets this season (18.49m, 18.34m, 18.23m) than any of her performances in 2006-07, and is getting close to the MSU all-time record in the 20 lb. weight throw (18.76m/61ft-6.75in), set by former Spartan Erica Bailey in 2007. Halliwill placed first in the weight throw at last year's Notre Dame Invitational, with a distance of 16.77m (55ft-9.25in).

Jeremy Orr has finished first in the 60m and 200m in consecutive weeks. He ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 46.79 in the 400m at last year's Notre Dame Invitational, a new Michigan State record.

For Notre Dame, senior Kurt Benninger ran a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8:05.22 in the 3000m run on Dec. 7, 2007. The mark stands as the fastest time in the BIG EAST Conference this season, by more than 13 seconds.

NEXT UP
MSU heads to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Michigan Intercollegiate on Saturday, Feb. 2.