Weekly Release #2: Michigan Prepares to Host Ohio State in "The Dual"
1/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
This Week
Saturday, Jan. 17 -- vs. Ohio State (U-M Indoor Track Building), Noon
The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan men's track and field team returns home this week to host Ohio State University in "The Dual" on Saturday (Jan. 17) in the U-M Indoor Track Building. The two rivals will compete in dual-meet action beginning at noon.
| Schedule of Events | |
| Time | Event |
| 12:00 p.m. | Weight Throw, Pole Vault, High Jump, Long Jump |
| 1:15 p.m. (or :30 after conclusion of WT or LJ) | Shot Put, Triple Jump |
| 1:00 p.m. | One Mile |
| 1:10 p.m. | 60m High Hurdles |
| 1:20 p.m. | 400m (2 sections max) 2nd section "seeded" |
| 1:30 p.m. | 600m (2 sections max) 2nd section "seeded" |
| 1:40 p.m. | 60m |
| 1:50 p.m. | 800m |
| 2:00 p.m. | 200m (2 sections max) 2nd section "seeded" |
| 2:10 p.m. | 3000m |
| 2:25 p.m. | 4 x 400m |
IMPORTANT TRAFFIC NOTICE
Due to a closure of the northbound lane of State Street on Saturday, Jan. 17, fans may need to consider an alternate route to the U-M Indoor Track Building for the men's track and field meet between Michigan and Ohio State.
The recommended route for fans traveling from points south who normally use State Street is to take Ann Arbor-Saline Road / Main Street to Hoover and use the parking lot entrance by the band building and Canham Natatorium.
Traffic from the north will be able to enter the parking lot from State Street as usual.
The northbound lane of State Street will be closed from Stimson (by the railroad tracks) to McKinley (near Yost Ice Arena) from early morning Saturday until late evening Sunday on the weekends of Jan. 17-18.
Scouting Report
Ohio State -- The Buckeyes return a strong team this season after finishing third at the indoor and outdoor 2008 Big Ten Championship. This season, OSU has already won the Mike Hout Invitational, its lone warm up for "The Dual". In sprints, Ohio State returns all of its 2008 Big Ten Indoor Championship team in the 4x400-meter relay. Matt Comer led the team in the 400-meter dash in 2008 and made the final at the Big Ten Championships, which will put him in a solid position in 2009. In the mile run, Jeff See holds the last two Big Ten titles and claimed All-America honors in 2008. In the throws, the Buckeyes return Patrick Whalen, one of the Big Ten's top-three shot putters over the past two seasons.
U-M's Top 2009 Indoor Times and Marks
60-meter Dash: Troy Woolfolk, 6.86
60-meter Hurdles: Carl Buchanon, 8.15
400-meter Dash: David St. Amant, 50.24
800-meter Run: Ricky Fleming, 1:55.54
3,000-meter Run: Tony Nalli, 8:24.87
5,000-meter Run: Lex Williams, 13:47.57#
4x400-meter Relay: 3:19.96 (Wheeler, Buchanon, St. Amant, Harmsen)
High Jump: John Kipf, 6-6.25
Long Jump: Robert Peddler, 23-7.25
Shot Put: Vince Helmuth, 46-10.75
Weight Throw: Sean Pruitt, 62-8
# NCAA provisional mark
New Career Highs
Sophomores Troy Woolfolk(Sugar Land, Texas/Dulles) and Robert Peddler(Kingston, Jamaica/Wolmer's Boy School) each set new career highs in the 60-meter dash at the EMU Open (Jan. 10). Woolfolk finished in second place with a time of 6.86 and was quickly followed by Peddler, who finished in third with a time of 6.89.
Last Season at "The Dual"
Adam Harris(Wheaton, Ill./North) set two U-M indoor records and won all three events in which he competed to lead the University of Michigan men's track and field team to a 90-71 dual-meet victory in the U-M Indoor Track Building. Harris posted an NCAA provisional time of 6.65 in the 60-meter dash and set a new personal record in the long jump, posting a mark of 23-10 to win his second event of the day. Harris capped the meet by winning his third event with a time of 21.72 in the 200-meter dash. The win improved Michigan's record in the indoor portion of "The Dual" to 20-3.
"The Dual"
In 2008, the University of Michigan and Ohio State University renewed one of collegiate track and field's greatest rivalries which began outdoors on May 18, 1907 in Ann Arbor and had been dormant since 2001 as the two teams competed during both the indoor and outdoor seasons in "The Dual."
Both programs have cultivated a century of great champions in the sport. While the dual-meet rivalry was primarily contested in the 1920s thru 1950s, the Wolverines and Buckeyes have met consistently at major invitationals, Big Ten Championships, NCAA Championships, and Olympic Games.
As collegiate track & field has evolved, the time was right to renew this best of intercollegiate competition and team spirit. "The Dual" has added to the already storied history of U-M-OSU athletic battles and created new legends for future Maize and Blue and Scarlet and Grey supporters to discuss and emulate. This meet provides a unique opportunity that only U-MCOSU student-athletes, coaches, and supporters can experience: a passion to compete head on against a respected rival who will give their best effort in an atmosphere of fair play and good sportsmanship.
UM Track & Field Honors and Remembers Past Head Coaches
The Michigan track and field team is honoring its past coaches as Dave Martin (1969-71), Dixon Farmer (1972-74), Jack Harvey (1975-99), and Ron Warhurst (2000-08), the four living former coaches of the Wolverines, will all be in attendance at "The Dual."
Dave Martin, the head coachfrom 1969-71, coachedsix All-Americans in three years including Olympians Ron Kutchinski and Godfrey Murray. His 1969 team finished 11th in the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Dixon Farmer, the head coachfrom 1972-74, coachedsix All-Americans in three years including Olympians Kim Rowe and Godfrey Murray. His 1973 team finished 8th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Jack Harvey, the head coachfrom 1975-99, holds the longest stint as head coach at UM as he led the Wolverines for25 years. Harvey guided the team tofive NCAA top ten finishes, 10 Big Ten tiles, and he coached 93 All-Americans, and 6 Olympians.
Ron Warhurst, the head coach from 2000-08, lead the team to a Big Ten Outdoor Championship last year (2008). In his career, he has coached 44 All-Americans and 12 Olympians including bronze medalists Brian Diemer and Nick Willis. His 2004 team finished 5th at NCAA Indoor Championships.
Introducing the Captains
Fifth-year senior Dan Harmsen(Rockford, Mich./Rockford), junior Frank Shotwell(Medina, Ohio/Medina) and senior Justin Switzer(Waterford, Mich./Kettering) have been named team tri-captains for the 2009 season.
Youth Movement
The Wolverines welcome seven newcomers on their 2008 roster: Bobby Aprill(Dexter, Mich./Dexter), Erik Braun(Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney Community), Matthew Campbell(Rochester, Mich./Rochester), Nicholas Neuman(Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East), Kurt Reichenbach(Brighton, Mich./Pinckney Community), Joseph Strizich(San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius College Prep) and James Wade(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer).
The Champions Return
U-M returns five Big Ten champions, including three individual champions. Senior Adam Harris returns after winning three Big Ten championships in 2008. The senior won both the 60-meter dash and the long jump during the indoor season and the 200-meter dash in the outdoor season. Frank Shotwell picked up two Big Ten championships in a win in the Heptathlon during the indoor season and the decathlon during the outdoor season. Dan Harmsen picked up the Wolverines' final individual Big Ten championship with a win in the 400-meter hurdles during the outdoor season. Harmsen also was part of the 4x400 meter championship relay team along with senior Andre Barnes. Harris, Barnes, sophomore Troy Woolfolk also claimed a Big Ten championship as part of the first-place 4x100 relay squad.
All-American Talent
Adam Harris, Andre Barnes and Dan Harmsen all return this season after earning All-America honors in 2008. Harris finished fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2008 in the 60-meter dash to earn the first All-America honor of his career. Barnes andHarmsen were both part of the 4x400-meter relay squad that finished fourth at the NCAA Championships with a school-record time of 3:04.64.
Michigan Among Nation's Elite
In the USTFCCCA's first poll of the season, released Jan. 7, Michigan is ranked 17th in the nation. U-M returns five All-Americans and five Big Ten champions this season.
| USTFCCCA Division I men's indoor track and field preseason rankings | |||
| Rank | School | Points | Final '08 |
| 1 | Oregon | 132.21 | 19 |
| 2 | Arizona State | 129.59 | 1 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 129.31 | 6 |
| 4 | Florida | 126.03 | 8 |
| 5 | Florida State | 104.43 | 2 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 102.28 | 10 |
| 7 | Texas | 81.73 | 3 |
| 8 | LSU | 79.42 | 4 |
| 9 | Louisville | 72.92 | -- |
| 10 | BYU | 71.06 | -- |
| 11 | Kentucky | 68.58 | -- |
| 12 | Texas Tech | 67.14 | -- |
| 13 | Northern Iowa | 65.07 | 9 |
| 14 | Baylor | 58.93 | 19 |
| 15 | Nebraska | 56.35 | 17 |
| 16 | South Carolina | 54.75 | -- |
| 17 | Michigan | 53.68 | -- |
| 18 | Kansas State | 52.00 | -- |
| 19 | Arizona | 51.59 | -- |
| 20 | Georgia | 48.95 | -- |
| 21 | Georgetown | 48.59 | 17 |
| 22 | Boise State | 48.22 | -- |
| 23 | Missouri | 42.83 | -- |
| 24 | UCLA | 42.61 | 14 |
| 25 | Stanford | 41.33 | 7 |
The Leaders of the Wolverines
Fred LaPlante takes over the position of head coach for the Michigan men's track and field team after 11 seasons as the associate head coach with the program. In his eleven years with the program LaPlante's main focus has been the development of U-M's sprint and hurdle athletics. LaPlante has coached 17 Olympians, 25 individual national champions and 77 All-Americans in his 22 years of coaching.
Ron Warhurst will step back and take on the role of associate head coach after a successful nine-year run as head coach on the Michigan men's track and field team. In 2008 Michigan won its first outdoor Big Ten title in 25 years. Warhurst works mainly with Michigan's distance athletes. In his 35 years with the Michigan track and field program Warhurst has coached 12 Olympians, 12 individual national champions, 44 track and field All-Americans and 38 cross country All-Americans.
David Kaiser returns for his fifth season working with Michigan's field and jump athletes. Kaiser has coached 27 All-Americans and 33 conference champions.
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 24 -- host Simmons-Harvey Invitational (U-M Indoor Track Building)
Contact: Joe Arancio (734) 763-4423
