Jan. 31, 2013

WATCH: Track & Field Preview

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State track & field program will continue competition this weekend as they return to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational. The meet will be begin on Friday, Feb. 1 and run through Saturday, Feb. 2. The throwers will travel to Findlay, Ohio as they will be competing in the Findlay Open on Friday.

Last Time Out
Michigan State track & field competed head-to-head with in-state rival Michigan for the first time since 1976.  Hosted by Grand Valley State University, the Spartans lost a hard fought battle with Wolverines, as the women lost an 89-73 decision and the men fell 88-74. However, MSU came away from the meet with two school records and eight individual wins. 

Record-Breaking Spartans:
Although it's early in the season, the Spartans have already rewritten the MSU record books during indoor competition.  So far, three school records have been broken during the 2013 season.

Indoor:
• Leah O'Connor
Mile (4:40.41) - Michigan Dual

• Beth Rohl
Weight Throw (21.40m/ 70-2) - Michigan Dual

• Amanda Impellizzeri
Pole Vault (4.05m/ 13-3½) - Notre Dame Invite

Conference Honors

The Michigan State women's track & field team swept the Big Ten weekly honors as redshirt sophomore Leah O'Connor was named Track Athlete of the Week and redshirt senior Beth Rohl was named Field Athlete of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday, Jan. 28.

O'Connor broke the facility, school and her personal record as she took home an individual win in the one-mile run with a time of 4:40.41 at the Michigan dual meet. Her record-breaking time puts her at first in the Big Ten and 25th in the NCAA this season. This is the first weekly conference laurel of her career.

Rohl receives the Field Athlete of the Week honor from the Big Ten for the second-straight week. She broke her own school record in the weight throw, winning the event in the Michigan dual meet with a personal-best mark of 21.40m/ 70-2. She is currently ranks fourth in the country in the weight throw this season. Beth took home another individual win in the shot put with a first-place mark of 14.11m/ 46-3½. She earns the third indoor track & field award of her career and second this season.

Climbing the Rankings
The Michigan State women's track & field team moved up two spots and is currently ranked No. 21 nationally in the USTFCCA computer rankings.

On the men's side, two Spartans rank in the top-10 nationally in the weight throw. Redshirt senior Lonnie Pugh is No. 6 with a mark of 21.40m/ 70-2½), while teammate Antonio James's mark of 20.92m/ 68-7¾ places him 10th. Senior Kurt Schneider sits at 14th in the heptathlon with 5,648 pts.

The top-ranked Spartan for the women is sophomore Tori Franklin who ranks third overall in the country with a mark of 13.34m/ 43-9¼ in the triple jump. Rohl remains in the top-five in the weight throw, improving her mark to 21.40m/ 70-2½. In addition to O'Connor's 25th ranked time of 4:40.41 in the mile, Redshirt senior Alysson Bodenbach ranks 18th in the 400-meter with a time of  53.56, while redshirt junior Sara Kroll sits at 22nd with a time of 9:12.25 in the 3,000-meter run.  In addition to O'Connor's 25th ranked time of 4:40.41 in the mile, senior Amanda Impellizzeri is No. 31 in the pole vault with a mark of 4.05m/ 13-3½.

Next Up
The Spartans will split competition next weekend as part of the team will also be traveling to the SPIRE Invitational in Geneva, Ohio on Friday, Feb. 8. Michigan State will also send competitors to return to Allendale, Mich., for the GVSU Big Meet on Feb. 8-9.