Wolverines Perform Well at Tyson Invitational

Friday, February 9

Fayetteville, Ark.

Michigan

Tyson Invitational

2/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- A portion of the 15th-ranked University of Michigan men's track and field team turned in a very strong performance at the Tyson Invitational, held at the Randal Tyson Track Complex. The meet was held on a 200-meter banked track. The rest of team competed at the Eastern Michigan University Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 10).

Sophomore Lex Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter) set a new personal record in the 5,000-meter run, placing eighth with an NCAA provisional time of 13:49.36 in the invitational portion of the event. He outdid his former personal best of 14:07.18 by almost 17 seconds, and Williams was 1.36 seconds shy of attaining an NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the event (13:48.00). The performance marks the third different event in which Williams has attained a provisional time -- the others being the mile run and the 3,000-meter run.

Senior Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) improved on his previous provisional time in the college division of the 60-meter hurdles, taking third with a time of 7.78. The time was .02 seconds faster than the NCAA provisional time of 7.8 that he achieved last week at the Meyo Invite (Feb. 2-3). Porter was .01 seconds off of his personal record (7.77) in the event.

Fifth-year senior Andrew Ellerton (Sudbury, Ontario/Confederation) won the 800-meter run championship. He crossed the line in 1:49.92, .02 seconds short of the NCAA provisional time (1:49.90) in the event. The win marked Ellertons second victory in the 800-meter this season.

Ellerton also found success on Michigan's 4x400-meter relay team. He was joined by sophomore Andre Barnes (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield), junior/sophomore Dan Harmsen (Rockford, Mich./Rockford), and senior Stann Waithe (Towson, Md./Loch Raven), a team that clocked 3:13.42 in the event to take third place in the college division of the race.

In the college division of the weight throw, sophomore Sean Pruitt (Cato, Wis./Valders) took fifth place and broke his own school record with a mark of 63-4, shattering the previous record of 61-8 1/2 that he set at the Indiana Gladstein Invitational on Jan. 26-27. Fifth-year senior Paul Sarantos (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) finished the event in sixth place with a mark of 61-7 3/4. Pruitt was also strong in the shot put, placing 11th after recording a mark of 55-0. Pruitts record marks the fourth straight week that a U-M school record has fallen.

Senior Michael Whitehead (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) placed 10th in the triple jump championship, jumping to a mark of 50-8.

Next week, Michigan will host the Harold Silverston Invitational at the U-M Indoor Track Building in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday, Feb. 17. The event will be held on a 200-meter flat track and field events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., while track events will begin at noon.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

Friday Results

400-Meter Dash "College" 1. Ricardo Chambers, Florida State 46.05 17. Stann Waithe, U-M 47.68 33. Andre Barnes, U-M 48.37 36. Dan Harmsen, U-M 48.44 5,000-Meter Run "Invitational" 1. Reid Coolsaet, Reebok 13:42.84 8. Lex Williams, U-M 13:49.36 60-Meter Hurdles "College" 1. Kevin Craddock, UCLA 7.73 3. Jeff Porter, U-M 7.78 Shot Put "College" 1. Sheldon Battle, unatt. 62-4 (19.00m) 11. Sean Pruitt, U-M 55-0 (16.76m) 22. Paul Sarantos, U-M 49-1 1/2 (14.97m)

Saturday Results

200-Meter Dash "College" 1. Walter Dix, Florida State 20.73 prelims 23. Stann Waithe, U-M 21.64 39. Andre Barnes, U-M 22.00 4x400-Meter Relay "College" 1. Barton CC 3:10.59 3. Michigan 3:13.42 Triple Jump "Championship" 1. Jaanus Uudmae, unatt. 54-3 1/4 (16.54m) 10. Michael Whitehead, U-M 50-8 (15.44m) Weight Throw "College" 1. Cory Martin, Auburn 74-0 1/4 (22.56m) 5. Sean Pruitt, U-M 63-4 (19.30m) 6. Paul Sarantos, U-M 61-7 3/4 (18.79m)