Track & Field

April 12, 2012

Jess Owens Track Classic Meet Info
Meet Schedule
Jesse Owens Track Classic Performance List
Siena Heights / Don Kleinow Memorial Meet Info

EAST LANSING, MICH. - Michigan State travels to Ohio State to compete in their third outdoor meet of the season, the Jesse Owens Track Classic.  Action is scheduled to begin on Friday, April 13th, at 4:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. and Saturday, April 14th, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The meet serves as a stage for some of the best collegiate and post-collegiate athletes to compete in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Meanwhile, other members of the track squad will compete in the Don Kleinow Memorial at Siena Heights University on Saturday, April 14th.   Competition will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Last Week at the Spartan Invitational...

The Spartans were blessed with uncharacteristically great weather for early April which led to a number to strong performances from Michigan State’s top athletes and reserves.  

Josh McAlary (Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christian HS) and Leah O’Connor (Croswell, Mich./Croswell-Lexington ) swept the 3000-meter Steeplechase for the men and women.  Both earned personal bests in the event; McAlary with 9:02.03 and Leah O’Connor at 10:49.77.

David Madrigal took the top spot in the men’s 1500 meter run, which saw many lead changes in the last 300 meters.  Freshmen Austin Wissler (Marquette, Mich./Marquette) and Madrigal  fought for the lead until Madrigal delivered his decisive kick with 200 meters remaining to edge Wissler.  Madrigal's final time was 3:48.40.

Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile ) was winner in the discus, throwing 182-04 (55.58m) while Zack Hill (Zeeland, Mich./Allendale )was topped all competition in the shot put with a distance of 58-04 (17.78m).

Senior Stephanie Bochenek (Hamilton, Ont./Bishop Ryan) earned her first win in the javelin at 42.25 (138-07).

Leslie Aririguzo (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield) added another win to her career, out-running the entire field in the women's 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.19. 

The Spartans all but swept the jumps, with Durant Crum (Albion, Mich./Albion) earning a personal best in the triple jump with 14.77m (48-05 1/2), Ashley Stacey (Riverdale, Ill./Thornton Township) claiming the triple Jump at 39-03 ¾ and long jump at 19-02 ¾, Kevin Jackson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) taking top honors in the high jump at 6-11 (2.11m) Becca Buchholtz (East Troy, Wis./East Troy) leaping  5-10 to win her final home meet event.

Record-Breaking Spartans...
Several indoor track records were broken in 2012:

• 35-lb Weight Throw
Lonnie Pugh - 21.40m (70-02 1/2) - 2012, Notre Dame Alex Wilson Invitational

• 1000 meters
Ben Miller - 2:23.89 - 2012, Notre Dame Invitational

• Shot Put
Zack Hill - 19.25m (63-2) - 2012, NCAA Division I Indoor Championships

• 60-meter Hurdles
Leslie Aririguzo - 8.26 - 2012, Big 10 Indoor Championships

• 500 meters
Brittany Lewis* - 1:12.85 - 2012, Notre Dame Invitational

• 600 meters
Brittany Lewis* - 1:28.78 - 2012, Big 10 Indoor Championships

• 3000 meters
Sara Kroll - 9:12.25 - 2012, Spire Invitational

• 20-lb Weight Throw
Beth Rohl - 20.99m (68-10 1/2) - 2012, Notre Dame Alex Wilson Invitational

• Triple Jump
Tori Franklin - 13.05m (42-9 3/4) - 2012, NCAA Division I Indoor Championships

• High Jump
Becca Buchholtz - 1.83m (6-0) - 2012, Notre Dame Invitational

• 1,600 meter+/Mile Relay+/4x400 Relay
Brittany Lewis*, Amelia Bannister, Jaelynn Pryor, Alysson Bodenbach - 3:39.79 - 2012, Indiana University Relays

* - Athlete is no longer with the program.

Indoor All-Americans...
Six members of the Michigan State track & field team earned All-America honors following their performances at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Nampa, Idaho, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Beth Rohl (weight throw) and Tori Franklin (triple jump) earned first team All-America honors for the Michigan State women.

First team honors on the men's side went to Zack Hill (shot put) and Lonnie Pugh (weight throw).  Fifth-year Senior Jay Gillespie (weight throw) earned second team All-America honors.

Honorable Mention honors went to Senior Becca Buchholtz (high jump).

Big Ten Medalists...
Senior Becca Buchholtz claimed her fourth-career gold medal in the high jump.  Buchholtz is Michigan State's record holder in the high jump, passing the six-foot mark earlier this year at the Notre Dame Invitational in January.

Beth Rohl earned a bronze in women's weight throw.  Rohl has three career indoor medals, including a Big Ten title in 2009 and a second-place finish in 2011.  Newcomer Brittany Lewis won the silver in the women's 600-meter finals, shattering the school-record and her own Canadian Junior Women's record in the process.  Sophomore Ashley Stacey earned her second career medal with a bronze in the women's long jump finals while freshman Tori Franklin earned her first career medal with a silver in the triple jump.

The lone medal winner for the men was Redshirt Sophomore Zack Hill who won the bronze in the shot put.  Hill placed second in the same event at the Big Ten Indoor Championships last season.

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