Michigan
Long Beach Invitational
Wolverines Wrap West Coast Weekend
4/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
April 17, 2016
» A number of athletes competed at the Mt. SAC Relays on Friday and made the drive to Long Beach for Saturday's competition, completing a weekend double.
» After winning the 100-meter hurdles elite invitational section at Mt. SAC Relays, Ofili made the drive in one day, traveling from Norwalk to Long Beach to help U-M win the 4x400-meter relay a little more than two hours later.
Site: Long Beach, Calif. (Jack Rose Track)
Event: Long Beach Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Team Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., April 22-23 -- at Jesse Owens Classic (Columbus, Ohio), 2 p.m./10 a.m. ET
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team wrapped up a weekend on the Golden Coast during Saturday's (April 16) final day of action at the Long Beach Invitational, competing at the Jack Rose Track.
For quite a few competing athletes, today's events represented the second leg of a weekend double. Many competed at Mt. SAC Relays on Friday (April 15), and traveled about 17 miles southeast to Long Beach, California, for another round of events on Saturday.
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
Several Wolverines double-dipped at 800 meters this weekend, led by four in the top 10 overall during Saturday's action in Long Beach. Senior Shannon Osika was fourth (2:07.53), third in the second heat to lead all Wolverines.
Junior/sophomore Jaimie Phelan (2:08.11) and senior Danielle Pfeifer (2:08.27) finished two-three in the first heat, the invitational event, for a six-seven finish overall, and fifth-year senior co-captain Devon Hoppe (2:08.58) also ran in the invitational race.
Sophomore Claire Borchers (2:10.34) and senior/junior Gina McNamara (2:10.71) ran with Osika in the second heat.
Junior/sophomore Courtney Munley ran a PR in the second heat of the 1,500-meter run, clocking 4:33.43 in her first outdoor race since her freshman season in 2014 to place sixth in her heat and 16th overall. Fifth-year senior Anna Pasternak placed 38th in 4:40.32.
SPRINTS
Junior/sophomore Sami Michell led the way in the 100-meter hurdles, timing 13.79 as the lone Wolverine in the Gold Invitational heat, while freshman Lauren Rodriguez set her own personal best in the later heats of the race.
Rodriguez also set a PR in the 400 hurdles race (1:03.99). Senior/junior Emily Wee ran in the first heat with a pair of unattached professionals, and ran 1:01.23 for 14th overall.
Sophomore Meghan Marias placed fourth in the sixth heat of the 100-meter dash, timing 12.17, .06 seconds off her PR, and freshman Jeryne Fish set a PR in the same event.
Senior Maya Long ran her first 200 since her sophomore season in 2014, getting in some speed work, and set a PR at 24.81, winning the eighth heat. Marias was runner-up in the sixth heat, finishing in 25.19.
After winning the 100-meter hurdles in an NCAA-leading 12.66 seconds, senior co-captain Cindy Ofili traveled from Norwalk, California, to Long Beach and helped U-M win the 4x400-meter relay. She ran the first leg, followed by Pfeifer, Phelan and Long, and the Wolverines won the first heat in 3:41.19, not far off the season-best time of 3:41.02.
THROWS
Sophomore Kayla Deering threw a season best to finish ninth in the shot put, with her best mark landing at 14.62 meters (47-11.75 ft.), while freshman Maegan McCarthy threw in the shot put and discus.
After a long week of competition with athletes in four locations, U-M will send a lighter squad to next weekend's two-day Jesse Owens Invitational (April 22-23) in Columbus, Ohio. The meet coincides with final exams at Michigan, and that will result in a smaller number of athletes competing.
COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS
Track Events
100-meter dash
Jeryne Fish -- 12.60
1,500 meters
Courtney Munley -- 4:33.43
100-meter hurdles
Lauren Rodriguez -- 14.48
400-meter hurdles
Lauren Rodriguez -- 1:03.99
TWEET OF THE DAY
Hey @umichtrack the Wolverines are rocking it out in Boston! 3 in one pic!! pic.twitter.com/vni3v5r6hs
-- Zachary Ornelas (@once_a_runner) April 16, 2016
Communications Contact: Chad Shepard
Players Mentioned
