Michigan
Kent State Qualifier
Sereno, Meier and Kieffer-Wright Make History to Close Out Road Trip
2/10/2018 9:24:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
» Gina Sereno and Haley Meier posted historic times in the 3,000 meters and mile, respectively, at Washington. Both now rank top-three all-time in their events in Michigan history.
» Claire Kieffer-Wright moved into a tie for No. 2 all-time in Michigan high-jump history at Kent State.
» All three put themselves in strong positions to earn berths to the NCAA Championships next month.
Student-athletes from the national No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team competed Friday at both the Washington Husky Classic (distance runners) and Kent State National Qualifer (sprinters and jumpers).
Site: Seattle, Wash. (Dempsey Fieldhouse)
Event: Washington Husky Classic
U-M Team Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 16 -- Michigan Silverston Invitational (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
SEATTLE -- Gina Sereno and Haley Meier made Michigan history on the final day of the Washington Husky Classic on Saturday (Feb 10), with both women now among the all-time top-three women in Michigan history in their respective events.
Sereno bolstered her standing at No. 2 in program history over 3,000 meters with a 9:01.62 clocking and Meier bolted up the all-time Michigan mile list to No. 3 with a 4:35.69 effort -- both of which will likely advance the Wolverine pair to next month's NCAA Championships.
Both Sereno and Meier are well under the historical cutoff marks for NCAA Championships qualifying from the past six seasons, with 9:07.22 and 4:37.91, respectively, marking the fastest final qualifiers in the last half-dozen years. Both are likely among the top-16 nationally at present, but the dust will need to settle from the season's biggest weekend of distance running around the nation to confirm.
Frontrunning from the beginning alongside national cross country champion Ednah Kurgat of New Mexico and her NCAA team champion teammates, Sereno was able to hold her momentum throughout as she chopped more than five seconds off her previous career best of 9:07.00 from last year's Big Ten Championships.
Sereno stuck with Kurgat and Elise Cranny of Stanford as they made a surge at approximately two kilometers and hung with a pack from Stanford, New Mexico and Oregon for the next two laps.
Just as it looked as though Sereno might fall off the pace with just one trip around the track to go, dropping to sixth at the bell, she reasserted herself as one of the leaders of a four-woman chase pack behind a two-woman breakaway at the front. Sereno held strong over the final lap and would ultimately take sixth in the race.
Only Erin Finn has ever run faster in Michigan history.
Sereno's performance came after a pair of breakthrough efforts in the mile. After watching teammate Claire Borchers become the 12th woman in Michigan history to run faster than 4:40 (4:39.94) thanks to a strong final-lap surge, Meier became the 13th moments later.
Unlike Sereno, Meier had to work her way through the field to earn her third-place finish in 4:35.69, passing by, among others, Big Ten mile favorite Danae Rivers of Penn State. At the three-quarter mile mark, Meier found herself at the rear of the lead pack in eighth with the field starting to string out in front of her.
Meier excelled on the final lap, surging down the backstretch and through the final turn, moving into fourth on the home straightaway and by Sabrina Southerland of Oregon to take third. All told, she covered the final 300 meters in approximately 50 seconds.
With the effort -- a near seven-second lifetime PR and more than 11 seconds faster than her next-best time at Michigan -- she ranks third in school history behind only All-Americans Nicole Edwards and Shannon Osika.
To her credit, Borchers moved up from No. 21 in Michigan history to No. 13 with her effort.
See full results at the conclusion of the Saturday recap.
Site: Kent, Ohio (Kent State Fieldhouse)
Event: Kent State National Qualifier
U-M Team Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 16 -- Michigan Silverston Invitational (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
KENT, Ohio -- After knocking on the door of 6 feet in the high jump in each of her past two competitions, Claire Kieffer-Wright broke through in a big way at the Kent State National Qualifier on Saturday (Feb. 10).
The dual-sport high jump and volleyball star cleared an indoor career-best 1.84m (6 feet, 0.5 inches) on her second attempt to move into a tie at No. 2 in Michigan history and into position to qualify for the NCAA Championships next month.
The jump matched her absolute best (indoors or outdoors) that won her the Big Ten Outdoor title last May.
Twice this season she had cleared heights of 1.79m (5-10.5) -- her best start to an indoor season -- leading up to Saturday's performance, which tied her with Stephanie Linz and Monika Black in Michigan history, and marked the best clearance in the high jump since Linz's 13 years ago in 2005.
The mark tied Kieffer-Wright ninth nationally with three other women, setting her up for her first berth to the NCAA meet. She stands just one centimeter behind Petra Luteran of Nebraska among Big Ten jumpers this season.
Kieffer-Wright's was the only win on the day for Michigan, but the Wolverines did notch six other top-five finishes.
Chief among them was a 2-3 finish for Meghan Marias and Torisa Johnson in the 60 meter final. Just .008 of a second separated the two as both officially clocked 7.63 in the final standings.
Marias would double-back for a career best in the 200 meters to take fifth in 25.08, behind runner-up Jade Harrison in 24.18.
Marias and Harrison would again team up for the 4x400 relay, taking second in 3:44.03 with Chloe Foster and Julia Hall.
New U-M Collegiate Career Bests on Saturday
Claire Borchers -- 4:39.94 / Mile
Claire Kieffer-Wright -- 1.84m (6-0.5) / High Jump
Meghan Marias -- 25.08 / 200m
Haley Meier -- 4:35.69 / Mile
Lauren Morgan -- 7.84 / 60m
Jenna Reid -- 59.17 / 400m
Jenna Reid -- 9.49 / 60m Hurdles
Gina Sereno -- 9:01.62 / 3000m
60 Meters (at Kent State)
2. Meghan Marias / 7.63 (final)
3. Torisa Johnson / 7.63 (final)
2. Meghan Marias / 7.60Q (prelims)
3. Torisa Johnson / 7.66Q (prelims)
12. Lauren Morgan / 7.84 (prelims)
13. Akili Echols / 7.88 (prelims)
200 Meters (at Kent State)
2. Jade Harrison / 24.18
5. Meghan Marias / 25.08
10. Lauren Morgan / 25.32
14. Julia Hall / 26.09
400 Meters (at Kent State)
7. Julia Hall / 57.28
14. Jenna Reid / 59.17
800 Meters (at Kent State)
5. Chloe Foster / 2:15.45
800 Meters (at Washington)
26. Micaela DeGenero / 2:14.11
36. Alice Hill / 2:16.71
Mile (at Washington)
3. Haley Meier / 4:35.69
11. Claire Borchers / 4:39.94
35. Hannah Meier / 4:49.13
3,000 Meters (at Washington)
6. Gina Sereno / 9:01.62
39. Sophie Linn / 9:34.81
60-Meter Hurdles
11. Jenna Reid / 9.49
4x400 Relay (at Kent State)
2. Marias, Foster, Hall, Harrison / 3:44.03
High Jump (at Kent State)
1. Claire Kieffer-Wright / 1.84m (6-0.5)
Pole Vault (at Kent State)
7. Sarah Uhlian / 3.63m (11-10.75)
Shot Put (at Kent State)
12. Aaron Howell / 12.50m (41-0.25)
Players Mentioned
