Track & Field

Feb. 4, 2010

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Sprinter Erica Mann

EAST LANSING, Mich. - After a week off since its last competition, the Michigan State track & field team will return to action this weekend when it travels to Notre Dame, Ind. for the prestigious Meyo Invitational. Action is schedule to begin on Friday, Feb. 5, at 5 p.m. with the long jump, and Saturday, Feb. 6, at 9 a.m. with the 3000m run.

"If our practices are any indication, we've gained a great deal from the week of training and no competition," said director of track & field and cross country Walt Drenth. "The Meyo Meet is one of the best indoor events of the entire season, it is a privilege and exciting to be part of this event. I don't think there is any new pressure from last year's success, we talked after the meet with Notre Dame and Louisville about getting better from that point in order to compete at a higher level at the Big Ten Championships."

In the Spartans' last competition, the Notre Dame Invitational - a tri-meet with the Irish and Louisville - MSU saw success in multiple events. Yury Ratomski highlighted the men's side with first-place finishes in both the 60m (6.90) and the 400m (48.62) dash events. Erica Mann led the women's side with her two first-place finishes in the 60m (7.59) and 200m (24.48) dashes.

Shane Wells was the third Spartan to finish first in two separate events, winning the 60m hurdles and the 200m dash with times of 8.16 and 21.96, respectively. Ashley Smith vaulted to the top mark with her height of 3.85m in the pole vault. Jay Gillespie tossed the top distance in the weight throw with his 18.24m mark. Spencer Beatty placed first in the 3000m run with his time of 8:14.45.

Thus far in the indoor season, the Spartans boast several members on the squad who rank both nationally and within the conference. Kyron Foster's leap of 16.06m in the triple jump at the Kentucky Invitational currently ranks second in the nation, and first in the conference. Mann currently boasts the third-best 60m time in the conference with her finish of 7.56 clocked at the Kentucky Invitational. Mann also ranks fifth in the conference in the 200m dash with her time of 24.34, which was also achieved at the Kentucky Invitational. Rounding out top-five rankings within the conference is Becca Buchholtz who ranks fourth in the pentathlon with a score of 3629, which she posted at the Notre Dame Invitational, a total that also scores her at 22nd in the nation.

MSU is back in action next week at the GVSU Big Meet on the campus of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. Competition gets underway on Friday, Feb. 12, at 10:50 a.m. with the women's pentathlon, and continues on Saturday, Feb. 13, 9:30 a.m. with the men's heptathlon.

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