Michigan
Power Five Invitational
Three Victors for Michigan on Final Day of Power Five Invite
2/1/2020 5:15:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Indoor Track Building)
Event: Power Five Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., Feb. 7-8 -- at Notre Dame Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
• Complete Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team got three event victories and a host of national-caliber performances as they closed out the final day of competition at the Power Five Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 1).
Chloe Foster got her second career-best win in as many days as she doubled back for a victory at 400 meters after her 600-meter triumph on Friday, while Jade Harrison and Jada Wimberly took the titles in the 200 meters and high jump, respectively.
Though she did not get the win, Meg Darmofal continued a breakthrough season with a significant career best in the mile as she finished as the top collegian in a field of professionals and Olympic hopefuls, headlining a big group of 18 top-five finishes over the course of the two-day meet.
The world-class U-M Indoor Track Building -- nearly filled to its permanent seating capacity of 2,000 spectators -- was also treated to stellar performances by Olympians Allyson Felix, Cindy Ofili and Tiffany Porter and one of the world's fastest 800-meter runs by Shannon Osika.
Darmofal smashed her personal record in the mile by nearly four full seconds to take third overall in a race filled with former NCAA championships and post-collegians.
The distance medley relay All-American ran strong near the front of the chase pack behind winner Julie-Ann Staehli and emerged at the front of it with a lap to go. As she barrelled around the final turn, she found herself in a three-way battle with former teammate and 2017 NCAA 1,500-meter champion Jaimie Phelan and 2014 NCAA steeplechase winner Leah O'Connor, formerly of Michigan State.
Darmofal was edged out at the line by Phelan but beat O'Connor as she clocked 4:39.19 to move herself to seventh nationally.
Her All-American 2019 distance medley relay teammate Foster notched her second win in as many days, claiming the 400-meter title on Saturday after winning at 600 meters on Friday. And just as she did on Friday night, she did so in career-best fashion as she clocked 54.23 to move up to No. 4 in school history. The time also slotted her in at No. 23 nationally so far in 2020.
Emma Lane was second overall in a collegiate career-best 55.48 to move to No. 10 on the all-time Michigan list, with Julia Hall third in 55.63.
Between Foster, Lane and Hall -- along with Jenna Reid, who was fifth in 56.74 -- the pieces are coming together for a quick 4x400 relay later in the year. The same goes for Michigan's distance medley relay, given the performances by Foster and Darmofal, as well as unattached All-American teammate Aurora Rynda who was fifth at 800 meters in a career-best 2:05.72.
Michigan picked up another victory in the sprints as 2017 distance medley relay All-American Harrison took the win at 200 meters. Harrison clocked a season's best 24.26.
Meanwhile in the field, Wimberly led the way with her first-ever collegiate victory in the high jump. After missing the past two years with injuries, Wimberly has re-emerged as a potential national contender after she cleared a career-best 1.77m (5 feet, 9.75 inches) for the win.
The clearance -- which ranks her tied for No. 19 nationally -- came on her second attempt at the height, which the next two-best finishers both missed.
The weight throw duo of Courtney Jacobsen and Briana Nelson continued their historic 2020 campaign as they both once more surpassed 20 meters. Jacobsen came within a single centimeter of her school record as she threw 20.14m (66-1) and Nelson went just three centimeters short of her best at 20.02m (65-8.25). The throws were good for fifth and sixth, respectively, in what was among the deepest weight throw fields in the nation so far in 2020.
In addition to the great U-M action fans witnessed, they also watched several Olympians and Olympic hopefuls do their thing.
Sisters and U-M alumnae Ofili and Porter -- both finalists in the 2016 Rio Olympics 100-meter hurdles final -- logged identical 8.19 times in the 60-meter hurdles final on Saturday, with Ofili edging her sister Porter out by .007 of a second at the line.
First-year Wolverine Madison Eaton was sixth in that final in 8.73.
Ten minutes later, Felix -- the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history with nine medals, six of them gold -- took the 60-meter dash title in a meet-record 7.35. Wolverine Jeryne Fish was eighth in that race in 7.69 -- her third sub-7.70 of the weekend after entering with a personal record above 8.00.
Osika captivated the crowd mid-meet with the world's second-fastest 800-meter run so far in 2020. She pulled away from a field that included the national champions from Canada and Barbados to run 2:02.11 for a new meet and facility record. Sonia Gaskin clocked 2:04.15 in second for a new Barbados national record.
A contingent of Wolverines will be back in action next week at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 7-8) in South Bend, Indiana.
Michigan Collegiate Career-Best Performances
Career debuts not included
Charlotte Cochrane -- 5:12.18 / Mile (I)
Erin Connor -- 15.36m (50-4.75) / Weight Throw (I)
Meg Darmofal -- 4:39.19 / Mile (I)
Chloe Foster -- 54.23 / 400m (I)
Amber Gall -- 2:09.62 / 800m (I)
Alice Hill -- 2:08.57 / 800m (I)
Eva Jansohn -- 2:15.12 / 800m (I)
Emma Lane -- 55.48 / 400m (I)
Jenna Reid -- 56.74 / 400m (I)
Samantha Saenz -- 9:54.66 / 3000m (I)
Ericka VanderLende -- 9:20.57 / 3000m (I)
Cate Visscher -- 3.64m (11-11.25) / Pole Vault (I)
Ameia Wilson -- 24.80 / 200m (I)
Jada Wimberly -- 1.77m (5-9.75) / High Jump (I)
Michigan Results by Event
60 Meters
FINAL
8. Jeryne Fish / 7.69
Prelims (Friday)
8. Jeryne Fish / 7.65q
9. Ameia Wilson / 7.66
11. Madison Eaton / 7.95
12. Tiana Luton / 8.07
Qualifying Round (Friday)
2. Jeryne Fish / 7.63q
3. Ameia Wilson / 7.69q
5. Madison Eaton / 7.92q
6. Sydney McGinley / 8.00q
7. Tiana Luton / 8.02q
200 Meters
1. Jade Harrison / 24.26
7. Ameia Wilson / 24.80
11. Chika Amene / 25.56
400 Meters
1. Chloe Foster / 54.23
2. Emma Lane / 55.48
3. Julia Hall / 55.63
5. Jenna Reid / 56.74
600 Meters [Friday]
1. Chloe Foster / 1:30.10
2. Julia Hall / 1:30.92
3. Annie Taylor / 1:32.26
4. Alice Hill / 1:33.39
800 Meters
8. Annie Taylor / 2:08.34
9. Alice Hill / 2:08.57
10. Amber Gall / 2:09.62
12. Micaela DeGenero / 2:09.98
15. Julia Vanitvelt / 2:13.35
16. Eva Jansohn / 2:15.12
17. Julia Sullivan / 2:15.76
18. Gabby Swider / 2:16.40
21. Haley Click / 2:25.15
Mile
3. Meg Darmofal / 4:39.19
8. Jena Metwalli / 4:50.04
17. Faith Reynolds / 5:02.93
18. Lexi Munley / 5:06.57
22. Thea Johnson / 5:11.52
23. Charlotte Cochrane / 5:12.18
30. Maddie Brand / 5:26.33
3,000 Meters
4. Ericka VanderLende / 9:20.57
6. Emma Sloan / 9:47.53
11. Samantha Saenz / 9:54.66
12. Maddy Trevisan / 9:57.03
13. Raquel Powers / 10:05.20
60-Meter Hurdles
FINAL
6. Madison Eaton / 8.73
Prelims (Friday)
8. Madison Eaton / 8.78q
10. Paige Chapman / 8.83
11. Michaiah Thomas / 8.94
12. Sydney McGinley / 8.97
13. Tiana Luton / 9.01
Qualifying Round (Friday)
1. Madison Eaton / 8.61q
3. Michaiah Thomas / 8.68q
5. Paige Chapman / 8.77q
6. Tiana Luton / 8.96q
8. Sydney McGinley / 8.99q
4x400 Relay
2. Reid, Taylor, Gall, Hill / 3:50.58
3. Amene, Jansohn, Metwalli, Darmofal / 3:55.85
High Jump
1. Jada Wimberly / 1.77m (5-9.75)
4. Katt Miner / 1.67m (5-5.75)
Pole Vault
8. Cate Visscher / 3.64m (11-11.25)
Long Jump
6. Jeryne Fish / 5.66m (18-6.75)
11. Ameia Wilson / 5.36m (17-7)
Triple Jump
4. Sydney McGinley / 11.09m (36-4.5)
Shot Put
3. Amanda Schaare / 15.28m (50-1.5)
7. Briana Nelson / 14.33m (47-0.25)
9. Erin Connor / 13.83m (45-4.5)
11. Maegan McCarthy / 12.27m (40-3)
Weight Throw
5. Courtney Jacobsen / 20.14m (66-1)
6. Briana Nelson / 20.02m (65-8.25)
12. Erin Connor / 15.36m (50-4.75)
Pentathlon [Friday]
5. Theresa Mayanja / 3530
60 Meter Hurdles
4. Theresa Mayanja / 8.82 (948 pts)
High Jump
5. Theresa Mayanja / 1.61m (5-3.5) (747 pts)
Shot Put
5. Theresa Mayanja / 10.48m (34-4.5) (561 pts)
Long Jump
5. Theresa Mayanja / 5.11m (16-9.25) (589 pts)
800 Meters
3. Theresa Mayanja / 2:30.61 (685 pts)
Players Mentioned
