Michigan Gets First Workout of Spring at FSU Relays

Thursday, March 20

Tallahassee, Fla.

Michigan

Florida State Relays

3/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team traveled to the Florida State Relays this weekend (March 20-22) for its first outdoor competition of the spring. The Wolverine sprinters fared well during on the track and U-M's middle distance runners had some success in a variety of relays and individual races at FSU's Mike Long Track.

Redshirt sophomore Rondell Ruff (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS) posted one of the Maize and Blue's two individual victories on the weekend with his 3:54.93 performance in the Garnet section of the 1,500-meter run.

Senior/junior Dan Cooke (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney HS) was also victorious, leading senior Philip Stead (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child HS) across the finish line in the Garnet section of the 800-meter by just over a second with his first-place time of 1:53.32.

Freshman Adam Kring (Port Huron, Mich./Port Huron HS) took third in the high jump competition with his leap of 6-7 1/2.

Michigan's sprinters posted several strong results. Sopohomore Chris Yee (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and redshirt freshman Kaj Johnannson (Benzie, Mich./Benzie Central HS) finished three and four in the 400-meter dash with times of 49.12 and 49.54, respectively. With his fourth-place finish in the Garnet section of the 400-meter hurdles, sophomore David Battani (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) was also able to post a top-five individual result.

Running in the Gold finals for the 400-meter hurdles, sophomore David Battani (Grand Rapids, Ohio/Otsego HS) took sixth place, clocking in at 54.31. Fifth-year senior Jeremy Schneider (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Andover HS) marked his return to the track for his final outdoor season of eligibility with an eighth-place showing in the Gold final of the 800-meter run (1:54.31).

In all, the Maize and Blue combined to win or place as the runner-up in a total of four Gold section relays. U-M posted wins in the 4x1,500- and 4x3,200-meter relays, adding second place in the 4x200 and distance medley relays.

The Wolverines will not be in action next weekend but return to competition Saturday, April 5, when they travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the non-scoring Yellow Jacket Invitational, hosted at Georgia Tech University's George C. Griffin Track Facility.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

Thursday Results

Shot Put (Garnet) 1. Keith Vance, College of Wooster 49-3 3/4 (15.03m) 3. Brad Hoffman, U-M 48-4 1/2 (14.74m) 13. Nick VanderPloeg, U-M 40-6 3/4 (12.36m) Discus (Garnet) 1. Marqus Johnson, FSU 168-6# (51.37m) 6. Nick VanderPloeg, U-M 149-1 (45.44m) 17. Brad Hoffman, U-M 121-8 (37.09m) Hammer Throw (Garnet) 1. Vincent Tortorella, Northeastern 197-7# (60.22m) 11. Roman Dodd, U-M 133-4 (40.63m) 12. Nick VanderPloeg, U-M 130-8 (39.83m)

Friday's Results

100-meter Dash (Gold) 1. Sheldon Morant, Florida A&M 10.66 14. Nathan Taylor, U-M 11.04 200-meter Dash (Garnet) 1. Brett Perriman, Florida A&M 21.70 12. Nathan Taylor, U-M 22.48 12. Kaj Johansson, U-M 22.48 15. David Battani, U-M 22.63 32. Nick Meter, U-M 23.29 36. Chris Yee, U-M 23.61 400-meter Dash (Garnet) 1. Mike Inge, Kent State 48.62 3. Chris Yee, U-M 49.12 4. Kaj Johansson, U-M 49.54 7. Kevin Lamb, U-M 50.16 10. David Battani, U-M 50.24 14. Nick Meter, U-M 50.76 800-meter Run (Garnet) 1. Dan Cooke, U-M 1:53.32 2. Phil Stead, U-M 1:54.53 1,500-meter Run (Garnet) 1. Rondell Ruff, U-M 3:54.93 13. Tom Greenless, U-M 4:04.58 110-meter Hurdles (Gold) 1. Karl Jennings, Tennessee 14.02# 15. Nick Meter, U-M 15.41 17. David Battani, U-M 15.67 400-meter Hurdles (Garnet) 1. Jermaine Ricketts, Mid-America 52.94 4. David Battani, U-M 54.30 14. Nick Meter, U-M 57.22 4X200-meter Relay (Gold) 1. Florida A&M 1:25.58 2. Michigan 1:28.97 4x400-meter Relay (Gold Prelims) 1. Florida State 3:07.23q# 5. Michigan 3:16.38q Distance Medley Relay (Gold) 1. Tennessee 9:54.18 2. Michigan 9:56.02 3,200-meter Relay (Gold) 1. Michigan 7:32.97

Saturday's Results

800-meter Run (Gold) 1. Sean Campbell, FSU 1:50.30# 8. Jeremy Schneider, U-M 1:54.31 1,500-meter Run (Gold) 1. Maarten van den Heuvel, FSU 3:46.93# 22. Dave Cook, U-M 4:14.91 400-meter Hurdles (Gold) 1. Mike King, unattached 50.84# 6. Seth Waits, U-M 54.31 4x100-meter Relay (Gold) 1. Florida A&M 40.29 7. Michigan 42.68 Sprint Medley Relay (Gold) 1. Air Force 3:24.85 -- Michigan DQ 1,600-meter Relay (Gold) 1. Florida State 3:08.14# 4. Michigan 3:15.96 4x1,500-meter Relay (Gold) 1. Michigan 16:03.82 High Jump (Gold) 1. Dan Olson, Wheaton 6-10 3/4# (2.10m) 3. Adam Kring, U-M 6-7 1/2 (2.02m) 9. Brad Miller, U-M 6-3 1/2 (1.92m)