Michigan
Jesse Owens Classic
U-M Claims Six Regional Times at Jesse Owens Classic
5/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Event: Jesse Owens Classic
U-M Team Finish: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., May 9-10 -- host Len Paddock Invitational (Ferry Field)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team earned six NCAA Regional qualifying times Friday and Saturday (May 2-3) at the 18th annual Jesse Owens Track Classic at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Freshman Nick Willis (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Hutt Valley HS) was one of two Wolverine event winners on the weekend with his victory in the invitational section of the 800-meter run. Willis posted a regional qualifying time of 1:49.54 in a race where the top seven spots were decided by less than a second. Willis was the champion by only 0.02 over Marc Sylvester of Tennessee.
Sophomore and reigning NCAA indoor 800 meters champion Nate Brannen (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS) was fourth in the race at 1:50.04 in his first 800-meter run since the NCAA Indoor Championships. Freshman Andrew Ellerton (Windsor, Ontario/Confederation HS) edged out former Wolverine Kevin Sullivan (1994-98) for sixth place, 1:50.37 to 1:50.42.
In the invitational flight of the 1,500-meter run, senior Alex L'Heureux (Weedon, Quebec/Palm Beach Gardens HS, Fla.) and junior Tom Greenless (Milford, Mich./Milford HS) posted NCAA Regional marks with their times of 3:49.22 and 3:49.97, respectively. L'Heureux took third place in the event, while Greenless followed behind in the fourth spot.
Redshirt freshman Tarn Leach (East Jordan, Mich./East Jordan HS) rounded out the Maize and Blue's regional qualifiers on the weekend with a 9:03.98 clocking in the steeplechase. Leach's time was an over nine-second improvement of his season best.
U-M's second event title came in the 400-meter dash, in which redshirt freshman Kaj Johansson (Honor, Mich./Benzie Central HS) earned the first win of his career with a 50.05 mark. Sophomore Chris Yee (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) took second in the event.
With his time of 10.84 in the 100-meter dash, sophomore Nathan Taylor (Courtenay, B.C./G.P. Vanier HS) established the Wolverines' first sub 10-second time this season in the event.
The Wolverines will host their lone home meet of the outdoor season with the Len Paddock Invitational next Friday and Saturday (May 9-10) at Ferry Field. Track events start on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., while field events are slated to begin at 11 a.m. both days. Admission is free.
Event Winners/U-M Finishers
Friday's Results
100-meter Dash (Open) 1. Exavier Darden, Toledo 10.42# 7. Nathan Taylor, U-M 10.84 15. Kevin Lamb, U-M 11.18 200-meter Dash (Open) 1. Exavier Darden, Toledo 20.91# 16. Kaj Johansson, U-M 22.49 19. Chris Yee, U-M 22.68 400-meter Dash (Open) 1. Kaj Johansson, U-M 50.05 2. Chris Yee, U-M 50.06 800-meter Run (Open) 1. Jeremiah Johnson, Wyoming 1:52.58 2. Phil Stead, U-M 1:53.31 4. Joe Schramski, U-M 1:54.35 5,000-meter Run (Open) 1. Tim Broe, adidas 13:41.97 4. Sean Moore, U-M 14:31.90 18. David Sage, U-M 14:57.48 110-meter Hurdles (Open) 1. Brian Finney, unattached 14.43 5. DarNell Talbert, U-M 14.99 7. Nick Meter, U-M 15.17 400-meter Hurdles (Open) 1. Damond Campbell, Tennessee 52.74 3. Seth Waits, U-M 54.00 6. David Battani, U-M 54.59 7. DarNell Talbert, U-M 54.93 8. Nick Meter, U-M 55.25 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Open) 1. Mark Croghan, adidas 8:39.34# 4. Tarn Leach, U-M 9:03.98# Triple Jump 1. Rondell Mershon, Tennessee 50-8 1/4 (15.45m) 7. Brad Miller, U-M 44-2 3/4 (13.48m)
Saturday's Results
800-meter Run (Invitational) 1. Nick Willis, U-M 1:49.54# 4. Nate Brannen, U-M 1:50.04# 6. Andrew Ellerton, U-M 1:50.37# 12. Jeremy Schneider, U-M 1:52.56 15. Dan Cooke, U-M 1:54.89 1,500-meter Run (Invitational) 1. Ofer Barniv, Kent State 3:48.55# 3. Alex L'Heureux,U-M 3:49.22# 4. Tom Greenless, U-M 3:49.97# 6. Rondell Ruff, U-M 3:51.17 19. Brian Turner, U-M 4:05.05 4x400-meter Relay 1. Team USA 3:07.79 2. Michigan 3:18.92 (Nate Brannen, Jeremy Schneider, DarNell Talbert, Seth Waits) High Jump 1. Steve Wolf, CMU 6-7 1.2 (2.02m) 5. Adam Kring, U-M 6-5 1/2 (1.97m) -- Jeong-Hwan Kang, U-M NH -- Brad Miller, U-M NH -- Braylon Edwards, U-M NH Long Jump 1. Scott Mayle, Ohio 25-3 1/4 (7.70m) 11. David Malonson, U-M 22-5 3/4 (6.85m) Shot Put 1. Dan Taylor, Ohio State 67-0 3/4 (20.44m) 15. Joey Sarantos, U-M 48-2 1/2 (14.69m) 17. Brad Hoffman, U-M 46-7 1/2 (14.21m) # NCAA Regional qualifying mark
Contact: Andrew Ladd (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
