Webb Posts NCAA Automatic Qualifying Time in 1,500

Friday, May 10

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan

Len Paddock Invitational (Day 1)

5/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman Alan Webb (Reston, Va./South Lakes HS) of the University of Michigan men's track and field team posted an NCAA automatic qualifying time Friday night (May 10) on the first day of U-M's Len Paddock Invitational at Ferry Field.

Webb

Despite strong winds, Webb posted a time of 3:41.46 to place second to former Alabama All-American and Adidas representative Tim Broe. Webb's time of 3:41.46 is .04 of a second faster than the automatic cut for the NCAA Championships that will be held May 29 through June 1 in Baton Rouge, La.

Webb, the American high school record holder in the mile at 3:53.43, becomes the second member of the Michigan team to qualify for the NCAA Championships, joining senior tri-captain Mike Wisniewski (Temperance, Mich./Bedford HS), who earned a trip to Louisiana by posting a time of 28:55.89 in the 10,000-meter run at the Cardinal Invitational (March 30).

Assisting Webb in the 1,500-meter race was freshman teammate Nathan Brannen (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS). Brannen, who posted a time of 3:59.85 in the mile while in high school, set the pace for the first 800 meters of the race before dropping out. Webb is expected to return the favor on Saturday (May 11) when he rabbits the 800-meter run as Brannen will attempt to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. The 800-meter run is scheduled to start at 12:50 p.m.

The Wolverines also received a strong performance in the 400-meter hurdles. Junior tri-captain Derek Applewhite (Brighton, Colo./Brighton HS) posted the fastest time of the 20-person field by running a career-best time of 51.30. The top finish for Applewhite marks the fourth consecutive race in which he has placed in the top six of the 400-meter hurdles.

Freshman DarNell Talbert (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) and sophomore Andrew Ochs (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) joined Applewhite in the top 10 of the 400-meter hurdles. Talbert posted a time of 54.04 to place fifth and Ochs followed in seventh with a mark of 54.13.

In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, junior Ryan Hesselink (Freeport, Mich./Thornapple-Kellogg HS) was the top performer with a time of 9:09.68, and sophomore David Sage (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) managed a time of 9:22.25 to place third.

The Len Paddock Invitational will conclude on Saturday (May 11) at Ferry Field. Field events are scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and the track events are slated to begin at 12:30 p.m.

Contact: David Crabtree (734) 763-4423