Michigan
B1G SPIRE Invitational
Victorious Meyrer Headlines Day One at SPIRE
2/12/2021 3:54:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Institute)
Event: SPIRE Big Ten Invitational (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 13 -- SPIRE Big Ten Invitational - Day 2 (Geneva, Ohio), 10:30 a.m.
• Complete Results (PDF)
GENEVA, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's track and field team may have been sidelined for two weeks as part of a department-wide pause in activities, but the Wolverines picked up where they left off on the first day of the SPIRE Big Ten Invitational on Friday (Feb. 12) at the SPIRE Institute.
Cross country All-American Devin Meyrer had a victorious, career-best run at 5,000 meters to pave the way for a strong day for the distance crew in the event, while All-American Ayden Owens is leading a big effort for the heptathletes in the first of two days of action in their seven-component competition.
Meyrer broke away late from the 2020 Big Ten Indoor Championships double-silver-medalist Ben Veatch of Indiana to cover 5,000 meters in 13:52.83 --Â a four-second improvement on his previous indoor best.
The performance bolsters his position as the No. 9 man in Michigan indoor history at the distance, and is among the first sub-14:00 performances in NCAA Division I this year.
His run was the leading edge of a Wolverine wave that resulted in new personal records for the top four Michigan finishers. Tom Brady nearly crossed the 14-minute barrier in 14:04.08 for fourth, followed by sixth- and seventh-placers James Gedris (14:11.05) and Jacob Branch (14:15.94), respectively.
In total, the results portend a strong cross country season for the Wolverines in March.
Despite only practicing for five days after the two-week pause, the heptathlon corps of Owens, Heath Baldwin and Mason Mahacek are all performing at or near career-best pace through the first four of seven events in the two-day heptathlon competition.
Owens leads after day one with 3,200 points, followed by Baldwin at 3,038 points in second and Mahacek third with 2,897 points.
In his heptathlon debut at Michigan, Owens has so far set a new collegiate personal record in the indoor long jump at 7.19m (23 feet, 7 inches) and approached his bests in the 60 meters, shot put and long jump. He has a chance to approach the school record of 5,843 points set by All-American Steven Bastien in 2017.
Relative to career bests, Baldwin is having the strongest competition of the three with new personal records in the 60 meters (7.33), long jump (6.75m/22-1.75) and shot put (13.86m/45-5.75).
Mahacek notched a personal record in the shot put (11.38m/37-4) and came within a centimeter of his high jump best at 2.02m (6-7.5).
The trio will contest the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000-meter run to close out the heptathlon on Saturday.
Action will resume at the SPIRE Institute Saturday morning starting just after 10:30 a.m.
Full Michigan Results by Event
Q = automatic qualifier to final; q = at-large qualifier to final
200 meter dash
Final
16. Austin Lin / 22.28 [New PR]
600 meter run
Final
11. Dubem Amene / 1:21.36
13. Leo Gabaron / 1:23.37
5,000 meter run
Final
1. Devin Meyrer / 13:52.83 [New PR]
4. Tom Brady / 14:04.02 [New PR]
6. James Gedris / 14:11.05 [New PR]
7. Jacob Branch / 14:15.94 [New PR]
12. Zach Stewart / 14:36.20
14. Jack Spamer / 14:40.93
Weight Throw
Final
3. Eli Winter / 17.42m (57-1.75) [New PR]
Heptathlon (Day 1 of 2)
Ayden Owens - 1st, 3,200 points
60 meter dash / 6.83 (944 pts) / Place: 1
Long Jump / 7.19m (23-7) (859 pts) [New PR] / Place: 1
Shot Put / 14.12m (46-4) (736 pts) / Place: 1
High Jump / 1.84m (6-0.5) (661 pts) / Place: 3
Heath Baldwin - 2nd, 3,038 points
Long Jump / 6.75m (22-1.75) (755 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
Shot Put / 13.86m (45-5.75) (720 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
High Jump / 1.99m (6-6.25) (794 pts) / Place: 2
60 meter dash / 7.33 (769 pts) [New PR] / Place: 4
Mason Mahacek - 3rd, 2,897 points
High Jump / 2.02m (6-7.5) (822 pts) / Place: 1
60 meter dash / 7.22 (806 pts) / Place: 3
Long Jump / 6.51m (21-4.25) (700 pts) / Place: 3
Shot Put / 11.38m (37-4) (569 pts) [New PR] / Place: 4
Players Mentioned
