Michigan
B1G Husker Invitational
Indoor Champs Holman, Mercier Shine in Texas
4/17/2021 10:08:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Prairie View, Texas (Prairie View A&M Track & Field Stadium)
Event: B1G Husker Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., April 23-24 -- at B1G Illinois Relays (Champaign, Ill.)
• Complete Results (PDF)
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- After winning Big Ten titles indoors this winter, sprinter Ziyah Holman and pole vaulter Jessica Mercier again led the way for the University of Michigan women's track and field team at the neutral-site B1G Husker Invitational on Saturday (April 17), hosted by Nebraska at Prairie View A&M.
Holman continued her undefeated streak in collegiate 400-meter races with a win in her U-M outdoor debut in the event, while Mercier turned in a clutch performance to finish runner-up in a heated pole vault competition. Big Ten indoor silver medalist Katt Miner also delivered in crunch time to secure a runner-up finish in her signature high jump event.
After opening her outdoor U-M career with a pair of races at the 800-meter distances, Holman shifted back down to the 400 meters on Saturday with one of the fastest times in school history. Holman covered the lap around the Prairie View A&M Track & Field Stadium in 52.92 seconds for the win by nearly 0.8 seconds.
In school history, only Joyce Wilson has gone faster with her school-record 52.43 from the 1985 Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
When the dust of the weekend settles, the time should rank her in the top-35 nationally, and would on its own likely advance her to the NCAA East Preliminaries, though she hopes to run faster and add the outdoor school record to her indoor records for 400 and 600 meters.
The top 32 individuals in each event will advance to the NCAA East Prelims, which serve as the opening rounds for the NCAA Outdoor Championships to be held in Eugene, Ore., in June.
Mercier also likely secured a trip to the East Prelims, based on the strength of her 4.14m (13 feet, 7 inches) clearance for second place. The mark almost did not happen if not for back-to-back third-and-final-attempt makes at 4.04m and then 4.14m.
First-year collegian Mia Manson also performed well, clearing an outdoor college-best 3.94m (12-11) for fifth.
Big Ten Indoor silver medalist Miner tied her career-best with a clutch third-and-final-attempt make at 1.76m (5-9.25) to finish runner-up in a tiebreaker against reigning Big Ten Indoor champion Alexis Zatta of Purdue. The competition ended with neither Miner nor Zatta attempting any higher bars.
The clearance puts Miner in position for a potential return to the NCAA East Prelims for the first time since 2018. The cutoff for qualifying is projected to be around 1.76m, based on past seasons.
Theresa Mayanja posted outdoor career bests in five different events -- including all three on the final day -- as she completed the two-day heptathlon competition in seventh place with a career-best score of 4,970 points. That total moved her up to No. 8 on the all-time U-M list in the event.
Mayanja opened her session with a 5.17m (16-11.5) (+6.1m/s) effort in the long jump, followed by a significant career best in the javelin at 32.78m (107-6) as she added nearly three meters to her personal record. She closed the heptathlon out with an outdoor-best 2:26.30.
She came within 30 points of becoming the eighth woman to surpass 5,000 points in the event. She likely will have another go at it at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships next month, and her showing in Texas -- combined with her sixth-place indoor pentathlon performance -- bodes well for another potential scoring effort.
Elsewhere in the field, Amanda Schaare picked up her second top-eight finish of the weekend as she tossed 15.38m (50-5.5) for eighth in the shot put, good for the No. 7 spot in school history outdoors. She also finished seventh in the discus on Friday.
The Wolverines will next compete Friday and Saturday (April 23-24) at the B1G Illinois Relays in Champaign.
Full Michigan Results by Event
Q = automatic qualifier to final; q = at-large qualifier to final
100 meter dash
Prelims
15. Hanna Hearn / 12.17 (-1.8m/s)
24. Hannah Waller / 12.28 (-1.8m/s)
200 meter dash
Final
25. Hanna Hearn / 25.31 (+3.3m/s)
33. Michaiah Thomas / 25.68 (+4.3m/s)
400 meter dash
Final
1. Ziyah Holman / 52.92
15. Chika Amene / 56.50 [New PR]
100 meter hurdles
Prelims
10. Michaiah Thomas / 14.30 (-1.0m/s)
High Jump
Final
2. Katt Miner / 1.76m (5-9.25) [New PR]
9. Jada Wimberly / 1.66m (5-5.25)
Pole Vault
Final
2. Jessica Mercier / 4.14m (13-7) [New PR]
5. Mia Manson / 3.94m (12-11) [New PR]
Long Jump
Final
7. Hannah Waller / 5.96m (19-6.75) () [New PR]
Shot Put
Final
8. Amanda Schaare / 15.38m (50-5.5)
Discus
Final
7. Amanda Schaare / 49.07m (161-0)
Heptathlon
Final
7. Theresa Mayanja / 4,970 points
100 meter hurdles / 14.11 (-0.2m/s) (963 pts) / Place: 3
High Jump / 1.60m (5-3) (736 pts) [New PR] / Place: 9
Shot Put / 10.74m (35-2.75) (578 pts) [New PR] / Place: 7
200 meter dash / 25.75 (+0.9m/s) (819 pts) / Place: 2
Long Jump / 5.17m (16-11.5) (+6.1m/s) (606 pts) [New PR] / Place: 9
Javelin / 32.78m (107-6) (528 pts) [New PR] / Place: 6
800 meter run / 2:26.30 (740 pts) [New PR] / Place: 4
Players Mentioned
