U-M Wins Pair of Events at Akron Open

Saturday, February 14

Akron, Ohio

Michigan

Akron Open

2/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

Site: Akron, Ohio (Stile Athletics Field House)
Event: Akron Open
U-M Team Finish: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 21 -- host Silverston Invitational (U-M Indoor Track Building)

AKRON, Ohio -- Senior/junior Sean Pruitt(Cato, Wis./Valders) earned his second provisional mark of the season, this time in the shot put, as he led the No. 13-ranked University of Michigan men's track and field team on day two (Saturday, Feb. 14) of the AkronOpen at Akron's Stile Athletics Field House.

Pruitt recorded an NCAA provisional mark of 58-7.5 (17.87m) to finish second in the shot put competition. Pruitt's throw was a new personal best and the fifth-longest throw in U-M history. The throw also places Pruitt third in the Big Ten this season.

Pruitt also earned a win in the discus with a throw of 169-6 (51.67m). The senior/junior trailed Matt Gac of Buffalo heading into the fourth round of the competition when he recorded his winning throw. Gac managed to record a throw to pull within just over a foot, but he could not match Pruitt's best.

The U-M 4x400-meter relay squad of sophomore David St. Amant(Livonia, Mich./Winston Churchill), fifth-year senior Dan Harmsen(Rockford, Mich./Rockford), senior Andre Barnes (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield) and sophomore Carl Buchanon(South Bend, Ind./Clay) earned the only other win of the competition for the Wolverines. In their second week together, the foursome continued to shave time off their finish, crossing the finish line in a season-best 3:13.05.

Both Harmsen and junior Ricky Fleming(Grand Haven, Mich. /Grand Haven) turned in new personal bests for Michigan. Harmsen finished sixth in the 400-meter run with a new career-best time of 48.01, while Fleming finished fifth in the 800-meter run with a new personal record of 1:51.60.

Michigan returns home next week to host the Silverston Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 21). The meet begins at 10 a.m. and will act as the final warm-up for the Wolverines before the Big Ten Indoor Championships (Sat-Sun., Feb. 28-March 1).

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

 Heptathlon 60-meter Dash 1. Zac Chapman, Indiana Tech 7.11 (844 pts) 5. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 7.40 (745 pts) 11. Taylor Voice, U-M 7.54 (700 pts) 13. Joe Strizich, U-M 7.63 (671 pts) Heptathlon Long Jump 1. Pat Woods, Unattached 21-9 (6.63m) (727 pts) 4. Joe Strizich, U-M 20-3 1/2 (6.18m) (626 pts) 5. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 20-3 (6.17m) (624 pts) 8. Taylor Voice, U-M 19-7 1/2 (5.98m) (582 pts) Heptathlon Shot Put 1. Daniel Kinsey, Akron 45-5 (13.84m)(719 pts) 4. Joe Strizich, U-M 40-3 1/4 (12.27m)(623 pts) 6. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 37-6 1/2 (11.44m)(572 pts) 7. Taylor Voice, U-M 36-3 1/2 (11.06m)(549 pts) Heptathlon High Jump 1. Pat Woods, Unattached 6-8 1/2 (2.04m) (840 pts) 2. Joe Strizich, U-M 6-4 3/4 (1.95m) (758 pts) 5. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 6-0 (1.83m) (653 pts) 7. Taylor Voice, U-M 5-10 3/4 (1.80m) (627 pts) Discus 1. Sean Pruitt, U-M 169-6 (51.67m) 7. Vince Helmuth, U-M 148-4 (45.21m) 11. Dan Bedoya, U-M 138-5 (42.18m) 60-meter Dash 1. Clint Allen, Eastern Michigan 6.80 12. Kyle Terpak, U-M 7.06 400-meter Dash 1. Matt Comer, Ohio State 47.70 6. Dan Harmsen, U-M 48.01 8. Andre Barnes, U-M 49.67 800-meter Run 1. Felix Kitur, VMI 1:49.69 5. Ricky Fleming, U-M 1:51.60 8. Roger Billhardt, U-M 1:54.22 3,000-meter Run 1. Dan Huling, Reebok 8:03.63# 10. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 8:46.17 60-meter Hurdles 1. Tyshaun Peoples, Akron 8.03 3. Carl Buchanon, U-M 8.06 4. Nick McCampbell, U-M 8.12 11. Rob Fiorillo, U-M 8.37 Shot Put 1. Tyler Blatchey, Unattached 61-4 (13.84m)# 2. Sean Pruitt, U-M 58-7 1/2 (17.87m)# Weight Throw 1. Keith McBride, Unattached 65-10 1/2 (20.07m)# 4. Brendan Lodge, U-M 60-10 (18.54m) 6. Dan Bedoya, U-M 60-2 1/2 (18.35m) Heptathlon 1,000-meter Dash 1. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 2:45.35 (815 pts) 8. Taylor Voice, U-M 2:53.68 (728 pts) 9. Joe Strizich, U-M 2:54.49 (719 pts) Heptathlon 60-meter Hurdles 1. Pat Woods, Unattached 8.46 (869 pts) 5. Joe Strizich, U-M 8.82 (786 pts) 6. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 8.85 (779 pts) 10. Taylor Voice, U-M 9.41 (658 pts) Heptathlon Pole Vault 1. Weston Lott, Akron 15-5 (4.70m) (819 pts) 4. Taylor Voice, U-M 14-1 1/4 (4.30m) (702 pts) 7. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 13-1 1/2 (4.00m) (617 pts) 8. Joe Strizich, U-M 12-3 1/4 (3.74m) (546 pts) Heptathlon 1. Pat Woods, Unattached 5,359 pts. 5. Kurt Reichenbach, U-M 4,805 pts. 7. Joe Strizich, U-M 4,729 pts. 8. Taylor Voice, U-M 4,546 pts. 4x400-meter Relay 1. MICHIGAN 'A' 3:13.05 (David St. Amant, Dan Harmsen Andre Barnes, Carl Buchanon)

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Fred LaPlante
On the team's performance... "We have had some bright spots every week and we have a few things that don't go quite as well. When you win the 4x400-meter relay, the last event of the meet, that is always good. Pruitt's shot put was impressive, that was good for us. We had some guys get new lifetime bests, which is great. We are getting closer to the Big Ten meet. We are two weeks away and we are still in it. There are six other teams that can win it as well, so it will be tough. We know where we are at now, we just need to do some fine tooth training and get fresh and focused."