Michigan
Notre Dame Meyo Invitational
Sereno Wins Prestigious Meyo Mile
2/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 4, 2017
» Three U-M women ran 4:40.00 or faster in the Meyo Mile, making Michigan one of two schools in the nation with so many women that fast.
» Nearly a dozen women recorded career-best performances between Notre Dame and the Akron Invitational .
Notre Dame Meyo Invitational
Site: South Bend, Ind. (Stile Fieldhouse)
Event: Meyo Invitational (Day 2)
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Events: Fri-Sat., Feb. 10-11 -- at SPIRE Invitational (Geneva, Ohio)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Distance and mid-distance events are the biggest strength of the No. 12-ranked University of women's track and field team, and the Wolverines' endurance muscles were fully flexed on Saturday's (Feb. 4) final day of the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational (Feb. 4) at the Loftus Sports Center.
Led by individual winner Gina Sereno in 4:36.68 -- a career best by more than eight seconds that would rank No. 6 nationally if the standings hold -- three U-M women ran 4:40 or faster in the prestigious Meyo Mile. Erin Finn was fifth in a career-best 4:38.35, while Jamie Morrissey took ninth in a career-best 4:40.00.
The Wolverines join Oregon as the only two teams in the nation with three runners at 4:40.00 or faster this season.
Morrissey was at the front of or leading the pack for much of the race, coming through on the bell lap in the lead with Sereno in hot pursuit. Over the final 300 meters, she moved to the front and outraced runner-up Jessica Harris of Notre Dame and the seven other 4:40-or-faster women to the line by more than a second.
Sereno's win marked three years in a row the Maize and Blue topped the collegiate field at Meyo. Shannon Osika was the top collegian in fourth place last season, while Brook Handler won it in 2015.
Led now by Sereno, the Wolverines' mile crew -- ranked second nationally by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) -- has more sub-4:50 runners this year (nine) than any other school in the nation (six), and that depth was on full display in South Bend beyond the Meyo Mile.
The theme of career bests in the mile was established in the early-session mile races as Kira Garry, Sydney Badger and Holly Petrusson all posted personal records over the five-lap circuit of Meyo Field. Garry surged into third on the final lap to run 4:45.75, followed closely by Badger in 4:46.10 and Petrusson in 4:47.00 for sixth and seventh in their section, respectively.
Running in different invitational sections of the 800 meters in the afternoon, Jaimie Phelan and Gina McNamara both finished third on late-surge season-bests and posted top-10 finishes overall. Phelan crossed the line in 2:08.81 to finish sixth, while McNamara ran 2:09.45 to finish ninth after chasing down three opponents in the final 100 meters.
A career-best 9:33.09 netted Sarah Zieve a ninth-place finish at 3,000 meters, with Avery Evenson taking 16th.
Though certainly plentiful among them, personal bests were not exclusive to the distance runners on Saturday.
Freshman Jade Harrison followed up on her fifth-place finish at 200 meters Friday night (Feb. 3) with a 10th-place showing at 400 meters today. Running 54.56, she eclipsed her previous collegiate best by nearly a full second en route to a runner-up finish in her section.
Fellow freshman Julia Hall finished 17th in 55.28, a collegiate career best of her own.
Harrison and Hall closed out the day leading off and anchoring U-M's 4x400 relay as the Wolverines (Harrison, Phelan, Morrissey and Hall) finished fifth in 3:43.28.
The Wolverines' lone field event competitors in South Bend -- the high jumpers -- also turned in strong performances. Both Claire Kieffer-Wright and Katherine Miner cleared 1.71m (5-7.25) on their first attempts and wound up in a tie for runner-up. That bar was also a career best for Miner.
Akron Invitational
Site: Akron, Ohio (Stiles Fieldhouse)
Event: Akron Invitational (Day 2)
U-M Team Result: Non-scoring
Next U-M Events: Fri-Sat., Feb. 10-11 -- at SPIRE Invitational (Geneva, Ohio)
AKRON, Ohio -- Throwers took center stage for the Wolverines to wrap up the final day of the Akron Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 4) at Stiles Fieldhouse.
Bailey Baker took eighth in the Gold Division weight throw competition at 16.91m (55-5.75), while Kayla Deering finished ninth in the Gold Division shot put.
In the Blue Division weight throw, Courtney Jacobsen was fourth for Michigan with a heave of 17.41m (57-1.25), followed closely by Deering in fifth at 17.39m (57-0.5). Both were less than half a meter away from their respective career bests.
Sereno wins the Meyo Mile! Three Wolverines run 4:40 or faster! 4:36.68 for Sereno, Finn 5th in PR 4:38.35, Morrissey 9th in PR 4:40.00! pic.twitter.com/TXmEzLl88x
-- Michigan Track&Field (@UMichTrack) February 4, 2017
Communications Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
