Lodge Breaks U-M Weight Throw Mark at Terrier Classic

Friday, January 27

Boston, Mass.

Michigan

Terrier Classic

Lodge Breaks U-M Weight Throw Mark at Terrier Classic

1/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

BOSTON, Mass. -- In just his fourth collegiate meet, freshman Brendan Lodge (Narragansett, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) broke the school record in the weight throw to headline the University of Michigan men's track and field team's performance at the Terrier Classic on Friday (Jan. 27) at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center. The Wolverines earned four victories -- three in the field events and one on the track -- at the non-scoring event.

Lodge registered a mark of 61-5 to earn his first collegiate win among the 27-man field, beating runner-up Matthew DiBuono of Fordham by a foot and three inches. The U-M freshman, who previously owned a best mark of 55-1 since moving to the heavier collegiate implements, added exactly one inch to the previous U-M school record in the event, set in 1999 by Patrik Johansson.

The Wolverines completed the sweep of the throwing events as freshman Sean Pruitt (Cato, Wis./Valders HS) also claimed his first collegiate victory, winning the shot put with a personal-best 54-11 1/4. Adding more than six feet to his previous best, the U-M rookie registered the mark on his final throw of the competition to beat the 43-man field by almost seven inches.

Senior captain Brad Miller (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) captured his second high jump victory of the season, winning the event in a jump-off with a mark of 6-9 3/4, matching his season best.

Junior Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin HS) led the Wolverine effort on the track, capturing his third straight high hurdles victory with a time of 7.46 in the 55-meter event. The Wolverine clocked 7.45 in the preliminary, just 0.07 seconds shy of the NCAA provisional qualifying standard.

Junior captain John D'Arcy (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont HS) earned runner-up honors in the 500-meter run, clocking 1:03.02 to finish just 0.08 seconds behind event winner Ray Miley of Kingsborough. In three collegiate 500-meter races, the Wolverine has finished second or better on each occasion.

Freshman Justin Switzer (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) clocked a personal-best 4:05.92 to claim third place in the mile run and pace a trio of Wolverine freshmen in the event. Switzer shaved more than three seconds off his previous best, which he recorded at last summer's Nike Outdoor National meet, but fell just short of the NCAA provisional qualifying mark, missing the standard by only 0.22 seconds. Sophomore/freshman Victor Gras (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS) took sixth place in 4:07.64, his best mile time since high school, and freshman Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) recovered from a fall early in the race to still post an impressive 4:13.87 in 12th place.

Senior Spencer Dowdall (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs HS) claimed runner-up status in the pole vault, earning his best mark in the event in two years with a clearance of 15-5 3/4. The performance ranked as the third-best mark of Dowdall's career and added 11 inches to his season best. Fifth-year senior Kevin Peterman (Livonia, Mich./Churchill HS) took third place in the event with a height of 15-0.

The Wolverines' new-look distance medley relay team debuted with a solid showing as the quartet registered a time of 9:56.33 to take second place, just 0.27 seconds behind first-place Zap Fitness. The foursome consisted of Gras, sophomore/freshman Dan Harmsen (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS), Switzer and Williams.

The Wolverines will send a squad to the annual Meyo Invitational next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 3-4) in South Bend, Ind. The two-day competition is slated to begin at 5 p.m. Friday evening at Notre Dame's Loftus Sports Center.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

55-meter Dash 1. Kenneth Baxter, New York Elite 6.30 5. Jeff Porter, U-M 6.51 200-meter Dash 1. Dennis Darling, Bahamas/Mizuno 21.15 19. Andre Barnes, U-M 22.27 24. Darren Adams, U-M 22.44 400-meter Dash 1. Tyrone Ross, New York Elite 47.34 6. Andrew Wechter, U-M 48.50 28. Chris Stowe, U-M 50.54 30. Dan Harmsen, U-M 50.61 500-meter Dash 1. Ray Miley, Kingsborough CC 1:02.94 2. John D'Arcy, U-M 1:03.02 800-meter Run 1. Damion Drummand, New York Elite 1:51.04 8. Mike Luginbill, U-M 1:54.30 Mile Run 1. Max Smith, Providence 3:59.33 3. Justin Switzer, U-M 4:05.92 6. Victor Gras, U-M 4:07.64 12. Lex Williams, U-M 4:13.87 3,000-meter Run 1. Steve Slattery, unattached 7:51.12 20. James Reichardt, U-M 8:19.23 29. Todd Iacovelli, U-M 8:22.34 32. Andrew Bauer, U-M 8:23.15 55-meter Hurdles 1. Jeff Porter, U-M 7.46 4x400-meter Relay 1. New York Elite 3:13.16 3. Michigan 3:13.48 Distance Medley Relay 1. Zap Fitness 9.56.06 2. Michigan 9:56.33 High Jump 1. Brad Miller, U-M 6-9 3/4 (2.08m) 4. Darren Adams, U-M 6-8 (2.03m) Pole Vault 1. Michael Couch, unattached 15-5 3/4 (4.72m) 2. Spencer Dowdall, U-M 15-5 3/4 (4.72m) 3. Kevin Peterman, U-M 15-0 (4.57m) Shot Put 1. Sean Pruitt, U-M 54-11 1/4 (16.74m) -- Paul Sarantos, U-M FOUL Weight Throw 1. Brendan Lodge, U-M 61-5 (18.72m) 5. Chris McHugh, U-M 54-10 (16.71m) 9. Sean Pruitt, U-M 52-4 3/4 (15.97m)