Wolverines Win Team Trophy at Central Collegiate Meet

Saturday, April 22

Ypsilanti, Mich.

Michigan

Central Collegiate Championships

Wolverines Win Team Trophy at Central Collegiate Meet

4/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team dominated the competition en route to its first team trophy of the season (270 points) at the Central Collegiate Championships on Saturday (April 22) at Eastern Michigan's Olds-Marshall Track. The Wolverines earned 10 individual event titles and a relay crown and posted five NCAA regional-qualifying times in their strongest performance of the outdoor season.

Freshman Adam Harris (Wheaton, Ill./North HS) boasted a breakout day in the sprint events, winning both the 100- and 200-meter races behind a pair of personal-best performances. Harris netted the first NCAA regional-qualifying standard of his career with a time of 10.46 at 100 meters, improving his personal best in the event by 0.04 seconds. The Wolverine battled former Olympian Tanko Braimah down the stretch, nipping the unattached runner at the finish line by 0.01. Harris did likewise in the 200-meter dash just a couple hours later, posting a time of 21.30, a 0.18-second improvement on his previous best. Running in the outside lane, Harris preserved his lead through the turn to earn his third career victory.

Junior Stann Waithe (Towson, Md./Loch Raven HS) completed the sweep of the sprints for the Wolverines, capturing the 400-meter crown with an NCAA regional-qualifying time of 46.78. The Wolverine came out of the final turn neck-and-neck with Notre Dame's Ryan Postel before surging ahead in the final 50 meters to beat the Irish runner by 0.11 seconds and claim his first win of the season. Sophomore Andrew Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby HS) and freshman Andre Barnes (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) also scored with top-eight finishes, claiming fourth and eighth place, respectively.

Junior Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin HS) earned his first 110-meter hurdles event crown of the outdoor slate and registered his fourth NCAA regional-qualifying time in as many races behind a time of 14.26. Porter got a quick start out of the block and led the race from start to finish. Porter led a trio of U-M scorers in the event as freshman Rob Fiorillo (Holly, Mich./Holly HS) and sophomore/freshman Rich LaCroix (Marine City, Mich./Marine City HS) placed third and fifth, respectively. Fiorillo posted a personal-best time of 14.91.

Fifth-year senior captain Rondell Ruff (Detroit, Mich./Henry Ford HS) outkicked the competition in the 800-meter run to pick up his first victory of the 2006 season. Running in the third and fastest heat, Ruff hung to the back of the field through the first lap before starting his move down the backstretch. The Wolverine captain used the final bend to push into the lead and held his position to the finish line, clocking a time of 1:51.29. Freshman Justin Switzer (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) held good position after the opening 350 meters, but a spill midway through the race knocked the Wolverine to the rear of the pack.

Just a few weeks after capturing his first collegiate win, senior/junior Todd Iacovelli (Kailua, Hawaii/Punahou HS) added a second event title to his resume with a win in the 5,000-meter run. Returning to the track after a brief rain delay, Iacovelli registered a huge personal-best 14:23.01 to pace the 23-man field, shaving 26 seconds from his previous mark. Sophomore Seth Thibodeau (Milford, Mich./Milford HS) also picked up points for the Wolverines with a third-place performance and a time of 14:38.51, a four-second personal best.

Senior Andrew Bauer (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) was victorious in his 3,000-meter steeplechase season debut, posting a time of 9:16.12. Bauer topped the nine-man field by four seconds to claim his first collegiate victory.

The Wolverines added a trio of victories in the field events as senior Kevin Peterman (Livonia, Mich./Churchill HS) claimed the pole vault title, senior captain Brad Miller (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) earned the triple jump crown, and senior/junior Adam Kiesler (Rochester, Ill./Rochester HS) won the javelin competition. Peterman and senior Spencer Dowdall (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs HS) both registered season-best performances in the vault as Peterman won with a mark of 15-7 and Dowdall claimed fourth at 15-1. Miller, in his first triple jump competition in two years, posted a mark of 46-0 1/2 on short rest after a third-place high jump performance, while Kiesler, in just his second career javelin competition, registered 157-3 to follow a runner-up long jump showing.

Sophomore Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) made his outdoor debut in the 1,500-meter run to pace a quartet of Wolverine scorers in the event. Woods and freshman Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) registered NCAA regional-qualiying times with second- and third-place finishes, clocking 3:46.62 and 3:47.19, respectively, while Ruff just missed one of his own in fourth place (3:48.11). Woods took the lead early in the bell lap with Williams on his heels. The two maintained their positions until the final bend when Phillip Lagat moved into the second position before surging past Woods in the final 10 meters to win by 0.01 seconds. Running in an earlier heat, junior/sophomore James Reichardt (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake HS) claimed eighth place with a time of 3:59.74.

The Wolverines will split the squad next weekend, sending contigents to both the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., and the Hillsdale Relays in Hillsdale, Mich.

Final Team Standings

 1. MICHIGAN 270 2. Eastern Michigan 194.5 3. Notre Dame 80.5 4. Valparaiso 44 5. Detroit Mercy 22 6. Oakland 21 7. Findlay 9

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

100-meter Dash 1. Adam Harris, U-M 10.46# 200-meter Dash 1. Adam Harris, U-M 21.30 3. Stann Waithe, U-M 21.50 5. Andre Barnes, U-M 22.04 8. Jeff Porter, U-M 22.33 400-meter Dash 1. Stann Waithe, U-M 46.78# 4. Andrew Wechter, U-M 47.84 6. Andre Barnes, U-M 48.35 9. John D'Arcy, U-M 48.90 800-meter Run 1. Rondell Ruff, U-M 1:51.29 14. Mike Luginbill, U-M 1:54.89 32. Justin Switzer, U-M 2:00.79 1,500-meter Run 1. Phillip Lagat, unattached 3:46.61 2. Mike Woods, U-M 3:46.62# 3. Lex Williams, U-M 3:47.19# 4. Rondell Ruff, U-M 3:48.11 8. James Reichardt, U-M 3:59.74 5,000-meter Run 1. Todd Iacovelli, U-M 14:23.04 3. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 14:38.51 110-meter Hurdles 1. Jeff Porter, U-M 14.26# 3. Rob Fiorillo, U-M 14.91 5. Rich LaCroix, U-M 15.32 400-meter Hurdles 1. Eric Alejandro, Eastern Michigan 52.56 2. Chris Stowe, U-M 52.71 4. Dan Harmsen, U-M 53.21 6. Marc Cooks, U-M 55.34 11. Stevann Waithe, U-M 57.94 3,000-meter Steeplechase 1. Andrew Bauer, U-M 9:16.12 4x100-meter Relay 1. Michigan 40.68 4x400-meter Relay 1. Eastern Michigan 3:17.36 High Jump 1. Adam Kring, Eastern Michigan 6-10 3/4# (2.10m) 2. Darren Adams, U-M 6-8 3/4 (2.05m) 3. Brad Miller, U-M 6-8 3/4 (2.05m) Long Jump 1. Edouard Joliveau, EMU 23-5 1/2 (7.15m) 2. Adam Kiesler, U-M 21-10 (6.65m) Triple Jump 1. Brad Miller, U-M 46-0 1/2 (14.03m)
 Pole Vault 1. Kevin Peterman, U-M 15-7 (4.75m) 4. Spencer Dowdall, U-M 15-1 (4.60m) Shot Put 1. Dave Adamek, Eastern Michigan 57-9 (17.60m) 2. Paul Sarantos, U-M 54-9 1/2 (16.70m) 4. Sean Pruitt, U-M 50-6 1/4 (15.40m) 10. Dan Bedoya, U-M 42-3 1/2 (12.89m) Discus Throw 1. Garet Koxlien, Notre Dame 160-4 (48.88m) 3. Paul Sarantos, U-M 159-2 (48.52m) 5. Sean Pruitt, U-M 155-5 (47.37m) 7. Dan Bedoya, U-M 135-3 (41.23m) Weight Throw 1. Kyle Annen, Notre Dame 187-1 (57.02m) 3. Chris McHugh, U-M 177-10 (54.20m) 5. Paul Sarantos, U-M 166-6 (50.74m) 6. Sean Pruitt, U-M 165-4 (50.39m) 9. Dan Bedoya, U-M 145-4 (44.29m) Javelin Throw 1. Adam Kiesler, U-M 157-3 (47.93m) # NCAA regional qualifier