Track & Field

April 19, 2012

Polytan Invitational |Schedule of Events| Heat Sheets
Al Owens Classic | Schedule of Events

EAST LANSING, MICH. – The Spartan Track & Field team hits the road this weekend with members of squad traveling to the Polytan Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. and the Al Owens Classic on the campus of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

Action at the Al Owens Classic begins Friday at 1:00 p.m. with the Decathlon, while Saturday action begins at 10:00 a.m. with the Decathlon/Heptathlon.  Polytan competition begins on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with the Hammer Throw with Sunday action starting at 12:00 p.m. with Women’s Shot Put.

Last Week at the Jesse Owens Classic…
Redshirt junior Beth Rohl dominated the women’s discus with a toss of 51.26 meters while fellow redshirt junior Lonnie Pugh took care of business in the men’s discus with a field-leading effort of 56.98 meters. 

Freshman Tori Franklin inched closer to Michigan State’s outdoor record in the women’s triple jump, finishing in first place with a leap of 12.20 meters.

Junior Derik Peterman had a career day for MSU, tying three other competitors for first place in the pole vault.  5.05 meters was the highest mark met by Peterman, Heath Nickles and Cody Marshall of Ohio State, and Max Babits of Eastern Michigan. 

In the women’s 1500 meters, Sara Kroll was Michigan State’s top performer with a first-place time of 4:25.65.

At the Don Kleinow Memorial Invitational…
The Spartans earned ten event victories on the women’s side and four event victories on the men’s side.

In distance, Joe Banyai took the top spot in the men’s 800 meters.  His time of 1:52.45 is the best outdoor mark of the season in the event for Michigan State.  Teammate and true freshman Reed Payant notched his first career victory with a time of 3:56.15 in the men’s 1500 meters.

Michigan State claimed both jumping events on the men’s and women’s side.  Isaac Marshall won the long jump with a distance of 7.16 meters and Jarred Gambrell took top honors in the triple jump at 15.18 meters.  For the women, Katie Guikema was the top finisher in the long jump (5.68 meters) while Chanel Payne was the lone competitor in the triple jump (10.88 meters).

In sprints, Noriah Williams clocked in the best time of the day in the 200 meters with 26.18.  Chelsea Ross was the winner in the 110 hurdles at 14.78.

In throws, Kelsey Prena was a dual winner in the shot put (12.70 meters) and discus (45.21 meters).  Fellow thrower Theresa O’Leary placed first in the javelin at 37.45 meters.

Women’s distance notched three victories with Olivia Sydow in the 5000 meters (17:38.32), Becky Penneau in the 1500 meters (4:45.74), and Meggan Freeland in the 3000 meter steeplechase (11:13.19).

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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