Michigan
Len Paddock Invitational (Day 1)
Ellerton Nips Brannen in 800 at Len Paddock Invitational
5/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore Andrew Ellerton (Windsor, Ontario/Confederation HS) blazed a personal best for the third time in four weeks to capture first place and set a new Ferry Field record in the invitational 800-meter run and pace the University of Michigan men's track and field team on the first day of competition at the Len Paddock Invitational on Friday (May 7) at Ferry Field.
| | With a personal-best time of 1:46.56, Andrew Ellerton topped a strong field in the invitational 800-meter run. |
Freshman Sebastien Lounis (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Seaholm HS) set the early pace in the race, clocking 0:51 through the first lap before dropping out at the 600-meter mark. Kent State's Mike Inge moved to the front but could not stay there for long as Brannen took the lead coming out of the final bend. Ellerton stayed on his teammate's heels through the turn before taking off down the final straightaway.
Brannen crossed the finish line just a step behind the leader, posting a season-best time of 1:46.79, just 0.04 seconds shy of the Canadian Olympic 'B' qualifying standard of 1:46.75. Former Wolverine Kevin Sullivan, who is bidding for his second trip to the Summer Olympics, claimed fourth place in the race with a time of 1:49.01.
In the other marquee event of the evening, the 1,500-meter run, sophomore Nick Willis (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Hutt Valley HS), running unattached, set the early pace, clocking 2:56 through the first 1,200 meters and towing the U.S. Coast Guard's Paul McMullen, a former Eastern Michigan standout who also trains under U-M head coach Ron Warhurst, around the track for the first three laps. After Willis stepped off the track McMullen took the lead and crossed the line with a time of 3:40.47, just 0.69 shy of the track record and four seconds off of the Olympic 'A' qualifying standard.
Junior/sophomore Rondell Ruff (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS) registered his best career performance in the 1,500-meter run, collecting fourth place among the 35-man field with a time of 3:45.35 and shaving 4.15 seconds from his previous best. The Wolverine earned his second trip to the NCAA Mideast Regional, bettering the qualifying standard by 2.86 seconds. Former Wolverine Jay Cantin, a two-time All-American from 1997-2000, also recorded a top-10 finish in the 1,500, placing seventh with a time of 3:45.62.
Junior Seth Waits (Grand Rapids, Ohio/Ostego HS) recorded a personal-best 51.45 to capture first place in the 400-meter hurdles. Waits trimmed 0.43 seconds from his previous best, set earlier this season at the Florida State Relays (March 18-20), to claim his fourth NCAA regional-qualifying time of the season.
The Wolverines will return to action tomorrow (Saturday, May 8) for the second and final day of competition at the Len Paddock Invitational. Field events are slated for an 11 a.m. start, while the track competition will begin at 1 p.m.
Q U O T E S
Sophomore Andrew Ellerton
On his race ... "We were hyping this race all week. I knew I had to get out hard and just stay comfortable. I just stayed behind Nate (Brannen) and the kid from Kent State. I tried to really push on the backstretch. As Nate started to move around the Kent State guy, I just followed him, and with about 70 meters out I felt really good."
On his confidence heading into the Big Ten Outdoor Championships ... "This gives me a huge confidence boost. I haven't really run faster than I had in high school, so I was starting to get stuck in a rut. This was a big breakout performance; it definitely makes the rest of my season a lot easier, because I have a lot of confidence. I'm ready to go next week."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
