Michigan
Meyo Invitational
Woods Clocks Automatic Qualifier 3,000m at Notre Dame
2/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sophomore Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) blazed a personal-best 3,000-meter run time to lead the University of Michigan men's track and field team at the annual Meyo Invitational, held Friday and Saturday (Feb. 3-4) at Notre Dame's Loftus Sports Complex. Woods netted his second NCAA automatic-qualifying standard in as many weeks, while juniors Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin HS) and Michael Whitehead (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area HS) and sophomore/freshman Victor Gras (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS) posted provisional qualifying marks in the 60-meter hurdles, triple jump and 3,000m, respectively.
Woods, who previously held an NCAA provisional time in the event, clocked 7:52.27 to pace the field and capture his first win of the season. The performance was more than a five-second improvement on Woods' previous personal best, which he registered in July to set a new Canadian junior record.
The Wolverine freshman was bumped at the line to to get pushed to the rear of the congested pack. As the rabbit set a quick opening pace, towing the field through the opening 800 meters at 2:06.5, Woods gradually moved up along the rail, pulling to the middle of the pack as the field began to string out. Notre Dame's Kurt Benniger pushed to the front of the pack and picked up the pace as the leaders moved through the mile mark at 4:14. Woods pulled into third place, hanging onto the heels of Benniger and Wisconsin's Chris Solinsky as the lead pack started to distance themselves with four laps to go. At the bell, Woods sprinted to the lead and pulled away down the backstretch, putting a 10-meter gap on Benniger. The Irish runner surged in the final kick to challenge Woods at the line, but the Woods persevered and edged out Benniger by a mere 0.01 second.
Gras also claimed a qualifying time in the race, recording a personal-best 8:04.09 in a ninth-place performance. The Wolverine stayed near the middle of the pack through much of the race before using his kick to improve his previous best by more than six seconds.
Porter continued his stretch of standout performances in the 60-meter hurdles, registering an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 7.88 to take second place in the event. Porter surged late in the race to finish just 0.06 seconds behind former NCAA All-American Selim Nurudeen. It was Porter's best high hurdles time in two seasons and fell just 0.06 seconds shy of his personal-best in the event. It matches the 14th best high hurdles performance in the country this season.
Whitehead netted the first NCAA indoor consideration mark of his U-M career in his triple jump debut, taking runner-up honors in the event with a mark of 52-3 3/4. Whitehead's performance bettered the provisional qualifying standard by five and a half inches. The Wolverine led the competition until the final series of jumps, when Wisconsin's Alonzo Moore posted a mark of 51-7 3/4 to pull into the lead.
Junior captain John D'Arcy (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont HS) paced the Wolverines in Friday's evening session, capturing the 500-meter crown with a time of 1:03.88. Moving into the final turn about 10 meters behind Notre Dame's Austin Wechter -- twin brother of U-M sophomore Andrew Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby HS) -- D'Arcy made up the distance in the final stretch, kicking into fist place to beat Wechter to the line by 0.81 seconds. It was D'Arcy's seventh collegiate win and his second at the Meyo Invitational in three seasons.
The Wolverines will return to the road next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 10-11), heading to State College, Pa., for the annual Sykes-Sabok Challenge Cup, Michigan's first scored meet of the season. Hosted by Penn State, competition is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at the Horace Ashfelter Track.
Event Winners/U-M Finishes
200-meter Dash 1. Chauncey Harris, Alabama 21.06 20. Adam Harris, U-M 22.61 400-meter Dash 1. Jamel Ashley, Reebok 46.08 9. Andrew Wechter, U-M 48.24 14. Andre Barnes, U-M 48.80 20. Stann Waithe, U-M 49.06 25. Dan Harmsen, U-M 49.38 41. Marc Cooks, U-M 51.31 46. Stevann Waithe, U-M 52.00 500-meter Dash 1. John D'Arcy, U-M 1:03.88 4. Dan Harmsen, U-M 1:05.16 10. Chris Stowe, U-M 1:05.96 14. Stevann Waithe, U-M 1:08.07 15. Marc Cooks, U-M 1:08.08 800-meter Run 1. Peter Etoot, Alabama 1:47.87 17. Mike Luginbill, U-M 1:54.24 32. Sebastien Lounis, U-M 1:55.84 Mile Run (Meyo) 1. Sam Bair, Pittsburgh 4:01.22 10. Justin Switzer, U-M 4:05.65 Mile Run 1. Jake Berns, Iowa 4:07.43 17. Todd Iacovelli, U-M 4:26.13 3,000-meter Run 1. Mike Woods, U-M 7:52.27 9. Victor Gras, U-M 8:04.09 11. Lex Williams, U-M 8:06.57 5,000-meter Run 1. Trent Hoerr, Illinois 14:03.36 15. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 14:42.78 19. Andrew Bauer, U-M 14:54.28 23. James Reichardt, U-M 15:01.57 60-meter Hurdles 1. Selim Nurudeen, unattached 7.82 2. Jeff Porter, U-M 7.88 4x400-meter Relay 1. Northern Iowa 3:08.23 3. Michigan 3:12.64 High Jump 1. Adam Linkenauger, Clemson 7-3 (2.21m) 4. Brad Miller, U-M 6-9 1/2 (2.07m) Triple Jump 1. Alonzo Moore, Wisconsin 51-7 3/4 (15.74m) 2. Michael Whitehead, U-M 51-3 3/4 (15.64m) Pole Vault 1. Andre Poljanec, Northern Iowa 15-0 3/4 (5.20m) 13. Spencer Dowdall, U-M 15-7 (4.75m) 15. Kevin Peterman, U-M 15-1 (4.60m) Shot Put 1. Nate Englin, Missouri 57-7 1/2 (17.56m) 11. Sean Pruitt, U-M 50-5 1/4 (15.37m) -- Paul Sarantos, U-M FOUL Weight Throw 1. Chris Rohr, Missouri 65-5 (19.94m) 11. Sean Pruitt, U-M 56-7 1/4 (17.25m) 16. Brendan Lodge, U-M 54-4 3/4 (16.58m) 19. Chris McHugh, U-M 52-9 1/2 (16.09m)
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
