Notes & Quotes: NCAA Outdoor Championships
6/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
N O T E S
The Wolverines' fourth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay team gave senior/junior Dan Harmsen and senior Andrew Wechter their first All-America awards.
Michigan's 4x400-meter relay All-America citation is its first since 1972.
Michigan's 4x400-meter relay time of 3:04.54 is the best in school history, demolishing the previous best of 3:05.73 set in 1985.
Michigan has placed in the top four in each of its three appearances in NCAA 4x400m final -- 1964 (3rd), 1972 (3rd) and 2008 (4th).
Michigan has a total of 161 outdoor All-America citations.
Sophomore Frank Shotwell is the only Michigan athlete to compete and finish among the top 20 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon.
The 15th-place finish in 200-meter dash Thursday (June 12) from junior Adam Harris makes him the first Michigan sprinter to reach the semifinals in the event since Butch Woolfolk in 1980.
The 15th-place finish in the 400-meter dash Friday (June 13) by fifth-year senior Stann Waithe makes him the first Michigan sprinter to reach the semifinals in the event since Todd Steverson in 1985.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Associate Head Coach Fred LaPlante
On the 4x400m relay team... "We had four great legs today, they were all very solid. Two of them ran the best splits of their lives and the other two were close to that. It was great for us. We beat a lot of perennial 4x4 teams, and it's great for a Midwestern team to make it to the meet and even better to make it to the finals. To finish fourth and beat some teams at their best is a great feeling."
U-M Fifth-Year Senior Stann Waithe
On the end of his college career... "I think it will sink in more tomorrow. When I'm on the plane back to Michigan I will have more time to reflect, but for right now it's a little overwhelming knowing it's your last meet. But it was a great way to end it."
U-M Senior Andrew Wechter
On going out an All-American... "I'll take being an All-American in track over playing football any day. I thought this being my last meet would sink in, but I guess that will happen sometime later this week. I kept telling myself this is my last one, but it still doesn't feel like it. I couldn't ask for a better way to end my career. It was fun, that is all I've got to say."
Players Mentioned
