Michigan
Louisville Invitational
Wolverine National Contenders to Debut at Louisville, UC San Diego
4/11/2019 4:18:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
» The University of Michigan men's track and field team is splitting up Saturday, with the sprinters, distance runners and jumpers competing at the Louisville Invitational and the throwers in action at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational.
» Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion Taylor McLaughlin will make his 400-meter hurdles debut at Louisville, with top early-season performers Roland Amarteifio and Ben Hill also in action.
» All-American and Big Ten champion throwers Joe Ellis and Andrew Liskowitz headline the group competing in San Diego as they make their 2019 outdoor debuts.
THIS WEEK
Saturday, April 13 -- at Louisville Invitational (Louisville, Ky.), 12:15 p.m.
Meet Info | Live Results
Saturday, April 13 -- UCSD Triton Invitational (San Diego, Calif.), 9:30 a.m. PDT
Meet Info | Live Results
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With the Big Ten Outdoor Championships only a month away, the University of Michigan men's track and field team will begin its final big push toward the postseason Saturday (April 13) as All-Americans make their spring debuts in Louisville and San Diego.
Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion Taylor McLaughlin will run his first 400-meter hurdles race of 2019 as he leads the Michigan sprinters, distance runners and jumpers at the Louisville Invitational on Saturday, while decorated throwers Joe Ellis and Andrew Liskowitz are set to compete for the first time this spring at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational on Saturday with the Wolverine throws corps.
This weekend's split road trip and next weekend's to Virginia and Stanford are the final two frames of top-level competition for the Wolverines ahead of the conference championships at Iowa on May 10-12. Michigan will host its first-ever outdoor home meet at the new Michigan Track and Field Stadium -- the Len Paddock Open -- on Friday, May 3, in what will serve as a final tune-up for the postseason.
Michigan's weekend gets underway Saturday afternoon at 12:15 p.m. in Louisville, with action at UC San Diego scheduled to begin just 15 minutes later at 9:30 a.m. PDT (12:30 p.m. EDT)
The Louisville Invitational -- which will pit the Wolverines against the likes of the host Cardinals, Michigan State, Purdue and Notre Dame -- is projected to conclude by 5:30 p.m. EDT, with competition in San Diego expected to last until nearly 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. ET).
Whether at Louisville or UC San Diego, among the goals for the Wolverines this weekend is to continue putting up marks that will ultimately rank them among the top 48 in their respective events in the NCAA East Region. Those ranked top-48 after the Big Ten Championships in May will be assured of qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in late May, which serve as the feeder meet into the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.
Fans can follow along with both competitions via live results throughout the day. FM Timing will provide results for the Louisville Invitational, while Finished Results will carry the results for the UC San Diego Triton Invitational. Live updates can also be found on the official Michigan track and field Twitter account, @umichtrack.
Wolverines to Watch
• McLaughlin will take his first steps in the chase for the 400-meter hurdles national title -- for which he is a favorite, according to FloTrack -- as he makes his 2019 debut in the event at 4 p.m. at Louisville. His season debuts have been about two-thirds of a second faster with each passing year; if that trend holds, a two-thirds-of-a-second improvement on his 50.86 opener in 2018 would put him in the neighborhood of 50.2, a mark only a half-dozen other hurdlers have achieved so far this season. He will be joined in the event by Roland Amarteifio -- who himself has already run a career-best-tying 51.73 -- and the No. 8-ranked 400-meter hurdles crew in the USTFCCCA Event Squad rankings.
• A month after wrapping up his indoor career with a third straight first team All-America honor in the weight throw, Ellis turns his full attention toward pursuing the NCAA title in the outdoor hammer throw this weekend. His competition begins in San Diego at 9:30 a.m. PDT, but he will not compete until later in the morning when the top-seeded flight gets underway. Ellis is coming off a 2018 outdoor season that saw him break the school record multiple times and rank among the top throwers in the nation, but he ultimately missed the NCAA Championships after an uncharacteristic off-day at the NCAA East Prelims. Last year, he debuted with a mark of 70.15m (230 feet, 2 inches).
• Liskowitz also is back in action for the first time since earning second team All-America honors in the indoor shot put a month ago. After competing in the discus earlier in the day at 1 p.m. PDT, he will open his outdoor shot put campaign in the invitational section starting at 4 p.m. PDT (though his flight will not compete until a bit later). The junior captured his first Big Ten indoor title this winter, and is looking to add the outdoor crown to his growing collection of accomplishments. He now owns the indoor and outdoor school records, has amassed three second team All-America honors and claimed the 2019 indoor conference title.
• Ben Hill will run for the first time since slashing two seconds off his 1,500-meter personal record two weekends ago at Stanford (March 29-30). His 3:44.97 from Palo Alto puts him ninth in the NCAA East Region and No. 22 nationally. He will have a chance to improve on it at Louisville at 2 p.m.
When to Watch the Wolverines
| Saturday (April 13) | Event | Round | Time (ET) | Meet |
| Roland Amarteifio | 110 meter hurdles | Prelims | 12:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Sierra Hendrix-Williams | 110 meter hurdles | Prelims | 12:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Cassidy Henshaw | 110 meter hurdles | Prelims | 12:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Job Mayhue | 110 meter hurdles | Prelims | 12:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Joe Ellis | Hammer Throw | Invitational | 12:30 PM | Triton Invitational |
| Manning Plater | Hammer Throw | Invitational | 12:30 PM | Triton Invitational |
| Josiah Carpenter | 100 meter dash | Prelims | 12:40 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Stephen Hagen | 100 meter dash | Prelims | 12:40 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Joe McCarthy | 100 meter dash | Prelims | 12:40 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Desmond Nicholas | 100 meter dash | Prelims | 12:40 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Shot Put | Final | 1:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Jack Lint | Shot Put | Final | 1:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Dominic Dimambro | Steeplechase | Final | 1:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Christian Hubaker | Steeplechase | Final | 1:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Joost Plaetinck | Steeplechase | Final | 1:15 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Jared Hill | 1500 meter run | Final | 2:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Jacob Lee | 1500 meter run | Final | 2:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Luke Wallace | 1500 meter run | Final | 2:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Alex Klemm | High Jump | Final | 2:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Max Wagner | High Jump | Final | 2:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Finalist TBD | 110 meter hurdles | Final | 2:30 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Ian Davis | 400 meter dash | Final | 2:50 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Vail Hartman | 400 meter dash | Final | 2:50 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Desmond Melson | 400 meter dash | Final | 2:50 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Cassidy Henshaw | Discus | Final | 3:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Jack Lint | Discus | Final | 3:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Finalist TBD | 100 meter dash | Final | 3:10 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Ben Hill | 800 meter run | Final | 3:25 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Cole Johnson | 800 meter run | Final | 3:25 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Matt Plowman | 800 meter run | Final | 3:25 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Derrick Simmons | 800 meter run | Final | 3:25 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Roland Amarteifio | 400 meter hurdles | Final | 4:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Noah Caudy | 400 meter hurdles | Final | 4:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Sean Marshall | 400 meter hurdles | Final | 4:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Job Mayhue | 400 meter hurdles | Final | 4:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Taylor McLaughlin | 400 meter hurdles | Final | 4:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Daniel Butael | Triple Jump | Final | 4:00 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Josiah Carpenter | 200 meter dash | Final | 4:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Stephen Hagen | 200 meter dash | Final | 4:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Joe McCarthy | 200 meter dash | Final | 4:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Desmond Nicholas | 200 meter dash | Final | 4:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Gabe Mudel | 3000 meter run | Final | 4:55 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| John Tatter | 3000 meter run | Final | 4:55 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Relay A, 4x400 | 4x400 relay | Final | 5:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Relay B, 4x400 | 4x400 relay | Final | 5:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Relay C, 4x400 | 4x400 relay | Final | 5:20 PM | Louisville Invitational |
| Andrew Liskowitz | Discus | Open | 6:30 PM | Triton Invitational |
| Manning Plater | Discus | Open | 6:30 PM | Triton Invitational |
| Andrew Liskowitz | Shot Put | Invitational | 7:00 PM | Triton Invitational |
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverine men are currently No. 27 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Rating Index and tied for No. 18 in the FloTrack team rankings.
• FloTrack is projecting three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion Taylor McLaughlin as the early-season favorite for the national title in the 400-meter hurdles. He is expected to make his 2019 debut in his signature event this weekend.
• Flotrack is also projecting Big Ten champion throwers Joe Ellis and Andrew Liskowitz to finish top-10 nationally. A First-Team All-American in the hammer throw in 2017, Ellis is predicted to finish fourth in 2019, while the three-time Second-Team All-American shot putter Liskowitz is currently ranked ninth.
• Among Michigan men who have competed so far this spring -- Ellis and Liskowitz are expected to debut this weekend -- decathlete Jack Lint has been the Wolverines' top performer. The graduate transfer scored a career-best 7.596 points to win the Jim Click Shootout decathlon title last weekend, moving him to No. 4 in the country. The score puts him in strong position to qualify for the NCAA Championships in June.
• Mid-distance runner Ben Hill and hurdler Roland Amarteifio have also been strong in 2019. Hill is ranked No. 22 nationally at 1,500 meters after running a two-second career-best 3:44.97 in his last outing two weekends ago, while Amarteifio already tied his 400-meter hurdles career best with a 51.73 performance two weekends ago. He ranks No. 31 nationally.
• Amarteifio is integral to what has become one of the best hurdle corps in the country this young 2019 outdoor season. Even without the three-time All-American McLaughlin having debuted yet, the 400-meter hurdles group of Amarteifio, Noah Caudy, Job Mayhue and Sean Marshall is ranked as the eighth-best quartet in the event nationally in the USTFCCCA Event Squad rankings. Mayhue, Amarteifio, Sierra Hendrix-Williams and Lint have the Wolverines ranked No. 11 in the 110-meter hurdles.
• The Michigan distance crew has also been strong early in 2019. The quartet of Jack Aho, Isaac Harding, Jacob Lee and Will Landowne have the Wolverines ranked No. 9 nationally at 5,000 meters, with Hill leading a 14th-ranked 1,500-meter crew that also includes Cole Johnson, Landowne and Harding.
• While both Hill and Amarteifio -- among many others -- are hoping to qualify for the NCAA Championships, they will first have to make it through the NCAA East Preliminaries in late May. Qualification for the East Prelims requires a student-athlete to be among the 48 highest-ranked athletes in the East Region who declare to compete in a given event. With some who choose to not declare -- for instance, those who rank highly in multiple events who choose to focus on a different event -- the actual rank of those who qualify can dip into the 50s and potentially the 60s.
• Below is a list of where Michigan men currently rank in the NCAA East Region, along with the performance that ultimately served as the 48th-and-final performance accepted into the 2018 Prelims for context.
In Strong Position to Qualify
9. Ben Hill, 1,500 meters - 3:44.97 (2018 Final Qualifier: 3:45.82)
12. Roland Amarteifio, 400 hurdles - 51.73 (2018 Final Qualifier: 52.3)
17. Devin Meyrer, 10,000 meters - 29:17.39 (2018 Final Qualifier: 29:59.37)
On the Bubble
25. Lewis Tate, Steeplechase - 9:03.31 (2018 Final Qualifier: 9:03.39)
32. Jack Aho, 5,000 meters - 14:09.29 (2018 Final Qualifier: 14:16.50)
Currently Outside the Bubble
38. Ben Hill, 800 meters - 1:50.79 (2018 Final Qualifier: 1:50.06)
43. Daniel Butael, Long Jump - 7.31m (2018 Final Qualifier: 7.48m)
43. Noah Caudy, 400 hurdles - 52.95 (2018 Final Qualifier: 52.3)
43. Job Mayhue, 110 hurdles - 14.28 (2018 Final Qualifier: 14.07)
• Numerous Wolverines are ranked top-10 among Big Ten competitors so far this season. Student-athletes who finish top-eight in their respective events at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in May will earn points for their teams in the overall standings that decide the team champion. Below is a list of where the Wolverines are currently ranked relative to their conference rivals so far.
1. Jack Lint - Decathlon
2. Devin Meyrer - 10,000 meters
3. Roland Amarteifio - 400-meter hurdles
5. Ben Hill - 1,500 meters
5. Daniel Butael - Long jump
6. Jack Aho - 5,000 meters
6. Lewis Tate - Steeplechase
8. Michigan - 4x400 relay
9. Isaac Harding - 5,000 meters
9. Job Mayhue - 110-meter hurdles
9. Christian Hubaker - Steeplechase
9. Michigan - 4x100 relay
Players Mentioned
