Michigan
Payton Jordan Invitational
Finn's Impressive 5K Highlights Successful Distance Weekend
5/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
May 3, 2015
• Complete Results 
| Notes & Quotes
Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Cobb Track/Angell Field)
Event: Payton Jordan Invitational
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Event: Thu-Fri., May 6-7 -- at Toledo Collegiate Invitational (Toledo, Ohio), Noon/9 a.m.
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The 25th-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team collected top-end performances in a medley of distance events on Saturday (May 2) at Stanford's Cobb and Angell Track, highlighted by a national-caliber performance from sophomore Erin Finn, who ran a little more than six seconds slower than her school-record time in the 5,000-meter run.
Finn led the charge in the 5K race, running 15:32.88 to improve on her season best by nearly nine seconds and finish 19th overall in a field that included just four total collegiate runners. Mostly competing against professional athletes, only two collegians finished ahead of Finn -- Stanford's Jessica Tonn (15:18.55) and Arkansas' Dominique Scott (15:32.55), giving the West Bloomfield, Michigan, sophomore the NCAA's fourth-fastest time to date.
Sophomore Gina Sereno took ninth in section three of the 5K race, running 16:29.59 to finish seventh among collegiate athletes, while junior Shannon Osika clocked 16:40.86 for 22nd place in section 2.
In the 1,500m race, senior/junior Laura Addison set a PR of more than six seconds by running 4:19.95 to take the win, beating her field by more than a second and a half. Senior co-captain Brook Handler ran 4:17.91 for 10th place in her section. Thought she did not match her persona best set last year (May 31, 2014), Handler did set a season-best time.
Three Wolverines competed in the 800m race, though all were running in different sections. Senior/junior Devon Hoppe finished in a season-best 2:07.16 in section two of the 800m race, earning seventh place, while sophomore Jamie Morrissey ran a season-best 2:09.04 for a runner-up finish in section five. Sophomore/freshman Jaimie Phelan finished sixth in the third section.
Both senior/junior Anna Pasternak and freshman Claire Borchers set new personal-best times in the 3,000m steeplechase. Pasternak clocked 10:21.28 in her seventh-place finish, a mark which stands as the eighth-fastest in the NCAA Great Lakes Region. Borchers ran 10:29.06 for 12th place, establishing a new PR that improves on her previous career best by more than four seconds.
The Maize and Blue will continue competition next week, sending athletes to the nearby Toledo Collegiate Invitational on Thursday and Friday (May 7-8) for an opportunity at season-closing qualifying marks for the NCAA East Regional later this month (May 28-30) in Jacksonville, Florida. U-M's postseason begins in nearby East Lansing with the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (May 15-17).
N O T E S
• The Maize and Blue tallied three personal bests at Stanford, running against some of the nation's best, and in more than one race, professional competition.
• Since returning from the injury that sidelined her indoor season, sophomore Erin Finn has established the fastest 5,000m run in the NCAA Great Lakes Region (15:32.88), which also ranks as the fourth fastest in the nation.
• Former Wolverine and current U-M volunteer assistant distance coach Rebecca Addison took first place in the fastest 800m heat, running 4:12.29 to lead the way.
Personal Bests
Laura Addison -- 1,500m (4:19.95)
Anna Pasternak -- 3,000m steeplechase (10:21.28)
Claire Borchers -- 3,000m steeplechase (10:29.06)
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach James Henry
On his graduating seniors who spent the weekend back in Ann Arbor ... "Graduation is always the crowning moment of this experience. These kids come in and they struggle and work really hard and it is nice to see them sort of get out in the real world and make me proud as a coach."
On the accomplishments of his sprints/hurdles group this weekend, which found success in three events and one relay ... "What I liked most about this weekend is that we accomplished what we were out to do. We were able to compete in a good-weather meet with some good competition and we improved and stayed healthy, so we did everything that we came out here to do."
On the success of the distance group competing at Stanford ... "They accomplished what we sent them there to do as well with a number of personal-bests in their performances. We are starting to round out well as we get closer to this Big Ten Championship weekend."
On where the team is at now with just one weekend of competition remaining ... "We are pretty comfortable with where we are at. This weekend's meets were the ones for which we decided which events (the kids) will compete in and what they need to work on still. Most of the kids will probably take the weekend off next weekend to have that quiet before the storm, but it is their choice. I think we have done everything we could do to get ourselves ready for these championships."
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
