Michigan
SPIRE NCAA D1 Invitational
Cartwright Caps Big Weekend at SPIRE
2/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Feb. 13, 2016
» Grant Cartwright finished third in the shot put with a massive PR at 18.94 meters (62-1.75 ft.), the No. 3 time in U-M history and what could stand as a national qualifying mark.
» Cartwright also set the No. 4 all-time weight throw mark on Friday (Feb. 12), giving him PRs and all-time performances in two events on the weekend.
» The Maize and Blue also set an all-time top-10 mark in the triple jump, with Kevin Stephens setting the No. 9 distance at 14.89 meters (48-10.25 ft.).
• Results | Photo Gallery 
Site: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Facility)
Event: SPIRE NCAA D1 Invitational (Day 2)
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 20 -- at Alex Wilson Invitational (South Bend, Ind.), 11 a.m.
GENEVA, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team completed a two-day meet at the future site of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday (Feb. 13), wrapping up competition at the SPIRE NCAA D1 Invitational. The Wolverines set three PRs in Ohio, led by significant marks in the shot put and triple jump.
Head coach Jerry Clayton saw a number of PRs across a wide variety of events this weekend, and progress -- even if little by little -- is what he and his staff want to see at this juncture of the indoor season. The team also got to preview the site of the conference championships later this month (Feb. 26-27), a valuable way to add a degree of comfort in the future for first-time and returning performers alike.
"As a team, we had a lot of PRs on this end (at SPIRE) and a lot of PRs at Iowa State as well," said Clayton, "and that is the progress we are looking for this time of year."
"We also got a chance to be in these rings and on these runways before the conference meet," pointed out Clayton, "and we got a little bit of a taste of that Big Ten competition as well with Ohio State and Maryland here competing."
THROWS
Junior/sophomore co-captain Grant Cartwright enjoyed a successful weekend individually. After setting the No. 4 all-time mark in the weight throw on Friday with his fifth-place throw of 19.71 meters (64-8 ft.), Cartwright bumped his shot put PR by more than 1.4 meters on Day Two of the meet.
Cartwright placed third overall, throwing what will hopefully stand as a national qualifying mark of 18.94 meters (62-1.75 ft.). Without knowing results from elsewhere around the country, Cartwright believes it can be a top-16 mark in the NCAA so far this season.
He was all business on Saturday, tossing the lifetime best distance on his first effort. After that attempt, he and Coach Clayton decided to shut down for the weekend. Incremental improvements are often the name of the game in throwing events, but Cartwright's improvement this weekend is significant, and he attributes it to a competitive practice atmosphere.
"As a team we are trying to make it our goal to compete in everything possible," said Cartwright.
"In the shot and in the weight especially, we have really been trying to be as intense as we can to create meet situations in practice."
The weekend performance as a whole is made even more impressive by the fact that Cartwright only began training in the weight throw this season
"It feels great to have top-10 marks in those indoor events, especially because I just started training the weight throw this year," he said afterward.
"I attribute that to Coach Clayton and Coach Saenz for helping me so much in that event. Training with Joe (Ellis), we have made it a point to be as intense as we can in practice and learning how to throw far. There is definitely still a lot of room for improvement.
The shot put improvement, he says, is a long time coming.
"That is something I've been trying to work on for a couple of years now," said Cartwright, "and it's the same thing there, too. Coach Clayton and Coach Saenz have helped me come a very, very long way with that."
Fifth-year senior Derek Sievers also competed, finishing fifth.
Cartwright is pleased to appear on U-M's all-time performance lists, but he quickly cleared that from his mind with a new focus: helping his team win a conference title.
"It feels good now," said Cartwright, "but the most important thing is going to be competing and trying to score for the team at Big Tens to the best of my ability."
Clayton also praised Friday's top mark from Ellis, noting the stability he and Cartwright have produced with in recent weeks.
"They have become really consistent," said Clayton. "Joe is getting small PRs each week, but that's the way it is -- that's a good thing."
JUMPS
Junior/sophomore Kevin Stephens Jr. competed in the triple jump, taking third place after jumping a PR 14.89 meters (48-10.25 ft.). Stephens' mark lands him at No. 9 all-time on the U-M performance list.
Freshman Alasgar Mammedov finished seventh in the high jump, clearing the fourth height in his progression to set a new personal-best mark of 2.01 meters (6-7 ft.).
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
In the mile run, three freshmen competed led by Matthew Plowman, who ran a season-best time in his first year representing the Block M.
With the conference meet looming, Clayton is excited about the progress his athletes are making, but remains focused on the task at hand.
"We are moving along," he said, "but we still have to keep focus for these next two weeks and put it together at the conference meet."
The Wolverines will wrap up the regular season at the Alex Wilson Invitational next Saturday (Feb. 20), slated for an 11:00 a.m. ET start at the Loftus Sports Center on the campus of Notre Dame. The one-day meet will bring U-M to South Bend, Indiana, for the third time this indoor season, though much if not all of the Big Ten squad will not compete.
COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS
Track Events
Mile Run
Matthew Plowman -- 4:13.73
Field Events
Shot Put
Grant Cartwright -- 18.94 meters (62-1.75 ft.)
Triple Jump
Kevin Stephens Jr. -- 14.89 meters (48-10.25 ft.)
High Jump
Alasgar Mammedov -- 2.01 meters (6-7 ft.)
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
See the best photos from Day One at the SPIRE Facility!
M » https://t.co/0joyA9rJU3
W » https://t.co/4AFYop7Lei pic.twitter.com/qeZVHGBLiW-- Michigan Track&Field (@umichtrack) February 13, 2016
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
Players Mentioned
