Wolverines Win Four Events at EMU Invitational in Season Opener

Saturday, January 8

Ypsilanti, Mich.

10:00 AM

Michigan

Eastern Michigan Invitational

Wolverines Win Four Events at EMU Invitational in Season Opener

1/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

Jan. 8, 2011

Site: Ypsilanti, Mich. (Bob Parks Track at Bowen Fieldhouse)
Event: EMU Invitational
U-M Team Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 15 -- vs. Ohio State in "The Dual" (U-M Indoor Track Building), 10 a.m.

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Junior hurdler Julian Purvis (Oakland, Calif./St. Elizabeth) set a new Bowen Fieldhouse record in the 60-meter hurdles as the University of Michigan women's track and field team kicked off the 2011 indoor season at the EMU Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 8) at the Bob Parks Track.

Purvis won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.42, breaking an 11-year-old facility record. Freshman Amber Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) was right behind Purvis to take runner-up honors in 8.78.

A pair of freshmen picked up their first career wins as Taylor Pogue (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich) crossed the line in 5:01.08 in the mile. Pogue won the race with more than seven seconds to spare over Eastern Michigan's Lauren Quaintance, who finished in 5:08.84. Erin Busbee (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) won the long jump in her first collegiate meet with a mark of 5.86 meters (19-02.75).

Sophomore Erin Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio/Woodmore) rounded out the Wolverine winners by taking first in the 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 17.74 meters (58-02.50), setting a new career-best mark. Her previous best was a throw of 17.45 meters at the 2010 Big Ten Indoor Championships. Pendleton also claimed second place in the shot put with a throw of 12.75 meters (41-10.00)

U-M took spots 2-7 in the 800-meter run, led by junior Alexandria Williams' (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) runner-up time of 2:14.84. Redshirt sophomore Brianna Jenkins (Novi, Mich./Northville) finished second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.60 meters (5-7), while fifth-year senior Alisha Cole (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) also placed second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.01.

Michigan's 4x400-meter relay team of Smith, junior Brittani Williams (Detroit, Mich./Jackson), Alexandria Williams and senior Jennifer Neville (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) finished the meet with a second-place time of 3:48.99. The Michigan quartet was just .47 behind Eastern Michigan's winning relay team.

The Wolverines return home next weekend for the first of two consecutive home meets, hosting Ohio State in "The Dual" on Saturday (Jan. 15). The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Event Winners/U-M Finishers
Preliminary Time in parenthesis if faster than finals time

60-meter dash 1. Ashley Abraham, EMU                  7.47 6. Ada Unachukwu, U-M                   7.87 (7.78) 7. Charlotte Cahill, U-M                7.98 8. Erin Busbee, U-M                     7.99 (7.91) 9. Amber Smith, U-M                     8.02 200-meter dash 1. Tiffany Ofili                       24.35 3. Ada Unachukwu, U-M                  25.75 5. Charlotte Cahill, U-M               26.2515. Sara Nitz, U-M                      29.65 400-meter dash 1. Shantavia Williams, EMU             56.88 2. Alisha Cole, U-M                    57.01 4. Jennifer Neville, U-M               57.41 800-meter run 1. Beverly Elcock, EMU               2:14.01 2. Alexandria Williams, U-M          2:14.84 3. Brittani Williams, U-M            2:16.12 4. Megan Weschler, U-M               2:17.84 5. Meg Bellino, U-M                  2:18.59 6. Monica Barnes, U-M                2:19.06 7. Ariel Dempsey, U-M                2:19.87 9. Chloe Prince, U-M                 2:24.4412. Nicole Prince, U-M                2:27.0316. Morgan Bailey, U-M                2:28.94 Mile run 1. Taylor Pogue, U-M                 5:01.08 6. Nicola Hallenborg, U-M            5:16.36 7. Alicia Patterson, unattached      5:16.79 8. Erica Crane, U-M                  5:23.7111. Megan Pearson, unattached         5:32.62 3,000-meter run 1. Tiffany Kincaid, EMU             10:40.96 2. Alex Keyser, unattached          10:43.18 60-meter hurdles 1. Julian Purvis, U-M                   8.42 2. Amber Smith, U-M                     8.78 8. Erin Busbee, U-M                     9.3312. Sara Nitz, U-M                       9.9616. Bernease Herman, U-M                10.50 4x400-meter relay 1. EMU A                             3:48.52 2. Michigan A                        3:48.99   (Amber Smith, Brittani Williams,    Alexandria Williams, Jennifer Neville) 4. Michigan B                        4:05.23   (Charlotte Cahill, Meg Bellino    Megan Weschler, Monica Barnes) High jump 1. Uhunoma Osazua, unattached           1.75m (5-08.75) 2. Brianna Jenkins, U-M                 1.70m (5-07) 3. Sara Nitz, U-M                       1.65m (5-05) 4. Lauren Young, U-M                    1.55m (5-01) Pole vault 1. Jessica Hemingway, EMU               3.95m (12-11.50) 3. Kiley Tobel, U-M                     3.65m (11-11.75)10. Andrea Marcos, U-M                   3.20m (10-06)13. Erica Marcos, U-M                    2,90m (9-06.25) Long jump 1. Erin Busbee, U-M                     5.86m (19-02.75) 5. Amber Smith, U-M                     5.45m (17-10.75)12. Bernease Herman, U-M                 4.68m (15-04.25)13. Sara Nitz, U-M                       4.66m (15-03.50) Shot put 1. Angela Scarber, EMU                 13.25m (43-05.75) 2. Erin Pendleton, U-M                 12.75m (41-10.00) 7. Bernease Herman, U-M                10.60m (34-09.50)    Kari Prena, U-M                     FOUL 20-pound weight throw 1. Erin Pendleton, U-M                 17.74m (58-02.50) 4. Joanna Fleming, U-M                 14.36m (47-01.50) 6. Kari Prena, U-M                     13.86m (45-05.75)