Michigan Men Impress on First Day in Florida

Friday, April 2

Jacksonville, Fla.

Noon

Michigan

B1G North Florida Invitational

Nick Foster (Michigan Photography)

4/2/2021 8:59:00 PM | Men's Track & Field

By: Kyle Terwillegar

Site: Jacksonville, Fla.
Event: B1G North Florida Invitational (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 2 -- at B1G North Florida Invitational - Day Two (Jacksonville, Fla.), 8:30 a.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A blend of established veterans and dynamic newcomers propelled the University of Michigan men's track and field team to a pair of victories and 14 top-five finishes on the first of two days at the B1G North Florida Invitational on Friday (April 2).

The distance crew combined for eight of those top-10 marks, led by historic runs at 1,500 meters by Nick Foster and Tom Dodd, with 400-meter hurdler Roland Amarteifio joining Foster as an event winner.

Foster and Dodd were among six Wolverines who finished top-five making their outdoor Michigan debuts, while Amarteifio was joined by fellow COVID-19 returners -- those who are now completing their final season of eligibility after the global pandemic canceled what would have been their finales -- in shot putter Andrew Liskowitz and high jumper Max Wagner in the top five.

Foster and Dodd raced to the wire in the invitational section of the 1,500 meters, with Foster narrowly edging out the All-American Dodd, 3:42.97 to 3:43.21. Both were fast enough to join the U-M all-time outdoor top-10 performers list at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, and both are now firmly in the conversation for qualifying to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in May. The top 32 in each event in the NCAA East Region earn the chance to compete for bids to the NCAA Championships at the renovated Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., this June.

Also posting quick times to round out a 1-2-3-5 finish for Michigan were third-place Anthony Berry in a career-best 3:45.44 and fifth-place Oli Raimond in 3:46.57 for his U-M outdoor debut.

Michigan also accounted for four of the top five spots in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, led in career-best fashion by runner-up Joost Plaetinck in 8:52.68 and third-place Christian Hubaker in 8:54.43. Both times are likely to put both men on the bubble for NCAA East Prelims qualifying, and both are just outside of the U-M all-time top-10. Rounding out the top-five were Jacob Branch in 9:08.29 in his first-ever try at the event and U-M outdoor debutant Jack Spamer in 9:14.26.

Meanwhile in the sprints and hurdles, Amarteifio now has a two-meet win streak going in his signature 400-meter hurdles event to kick off his final 2021 campaign. The 2019 NCAA Championships qualifier took the title on Friday in 52.32, winning by nearly half a second.

In the shorter 110-meter hurdles, indoor All-American Ayden Owens marked his first U-M outdoor appearance by making Saturday's final with a windy 14.03 (+4.5m/s wind) for the seventh-fastest time of the prelims.

True freshman Dubem Amene took fourth place overall in the invitational section of the 400 meters in 48.23 seconds.

Out in the field, Michigan's first team All-American shot put duo of Liskowitz and John Meyer competed together for the first time since before the pandemic, taking second and third on Friday, respectively. Liskowitz's 19.46m (63 feet, 10.25 inches) heave in the first round nearly held up all the way through for the win, but he was pushed down to second in the penultimate round. Meyer got out to 18.87m (61-11) in his outdoor Michigan debut.

In his first outdoor competition in nearly two years, high jumper Wagner did not miss a beat as he tied his outdoor collegiate personal best at 2.10m (6-10.75) to finish runner-up. Along the way he twice survived third-and-final attempts. Teammate Cassidy Henshaw also jumped well in fourth-place with a 2.07m (6-9.5) third-attempt make.

Action will resume for Michigan on Saturday (April 3) starting at 8:30 a.m. in the discus, with the pole vault starting at noon and the track program beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Full Michigan Results by Event

Q = automatic qualifier to final; q = at-large qualifier to final

400 meter dash
Invitational
4. Dubem Amene / 48.23
11. Austin Lin / 49.27
19. Desmond Melson / 50.19

800 meter run
Invitational
9. Cole Johnson / 1:52.24 [New Outdoor PR]
20. Thomas Shilgalis / 1:53.76
21. Derrick Simmons / 1:53.95

1,500 meter run
Invitational
1. Nick Foster / 3:42.97
2. Tom Dodd / 3:43.21 [New PR]
3. Anthony Berry / 3:45.44 [New PR]
5. Oli Raimond / 3:46.57
19. Colton Yesney / 4:07.72

Steeplechase
Final
2. Joost Plaetinck / 8:52.68 [New PR]
3. Christian Hubaker / 8:54.43 [New PR]
4. Jacob Branch / 9:08.29
5. Jack Spamer / 9:14.26

110 meter hurdles
Prelims
7. Ayden Owens / 14.03q (+4.5m/s)
11. Roland Amarteifio / 14.29 (+1.8m/s)
16. Heath Baldwin / 14.41 (+1.8m/s) [New PR]
27. Mason Mahacek / 16.27 (+3.0m/s)

400 meter hurdles
Invitational
1. Roland Amarteifio / 52.32

High Jump
Final
2. Max Wagner / 2.10m (6-10.75) [New Outdoor PR]
4. Cassidy Henshaw / 2.07m (6-9.5)

Long Jump
Final
11. Mason Mahacek / 6.86m (22-6)
13. Heath Baldwin / 6.80m (22-3.75)
15. Bera Ajala / 6.74m (22-1.25)

Shot Put
Invitational
2. Andrew Liskowitz / 19.46m (63-10.25)
3. John Meyer / 18.87m (61-11)