Michigan
Michigan Invitational
Amene Makes Program History at Michigan Invitational
1/22/2022 5:21:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Indoor Track Building)
Event:Michigan Invitational
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., Jan. 28-29 -- at Indiana Relays (Bloomington, Ind.), TBA; at Rod McCravy Memorial (Lexington, Ky.), TBA
• Complete Results (PDF)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- One week after a pair of dramatic photo-finish wins, Dubem Amene left no doubt on Saturday (Jan. 22) as he headlined the University of Michigan men's track and field team at the Michigan Invitational inside the confines of the world-class U-M Indoor Track Building.
In a tremendous demonstration of his range, Amene slashed three-and-a-half seconds off his career best and won by nearly that much at 600 meters in a meet-record 1:17.41. He became the only collegian this year -- and the only man in school history -- to have broken both 1:18 at 600 meters and 21.30 at 200 meters.
His performance stands as the No. 7 time in the NCAA this winter and gives Michigan three men who will likely rank top-15 nationally by the end of the weekend. In school history, he ranks behind only teammate Miles Brown's 1:16.98 school record from last weekend and the former school record of 1:17.33 by Jeremy Schneider that previously stood for 21 years.
Amene has yet to debut at his signature 400-meter distance, though his performances at the adjacent 600-meter and 200-meter (21.29 seconds from last weekend) events suggest his indoor 47.95 indoor career-best -- and perhaps even his 46.40 outdoor best -- could fall this winter.
He was joined as an event winner by Derrick Simmons, who surged to a season's best 1:52.02 to claim the title at 800 meters. The time could put him top-50 by the end of the weekend, and will be among the conference's fastest times this winter.
Earlier on the track, Job Mayhue was edged out for the win in the 60-meter hurdles by thousandths of a second, as he clocked a career-best 7.97 seconds but could not quite outlean Eastern Michigan's Almighty Williams at the line. The effort matched his 7.97 from the preliminaries, marking just the second time in his career he has dipped below 8.00 in the same meet. He ran 7.99 and 7.98 at the 2020 Big Ten Championships just before the pandemic.
He joins teammate Joshua Zeller -- the current Big Ten leader at 7.76 -- under 8.00 this season. Zeller did not run the hurdles, but clocked a career-best 7.04 seconds in the open 60 meters to take 10th overall.
In the field, Bera Ajala was the top collegian in the triple jump with a 14.94m (49 feet, 0.25 inch) leap for third place, behind Olympian Donald Scott and his meet-record and 2022 world-leading 16.76m (55-0).
Eli Winter had a career-best day in the weight throw as he went 19.42m (63 feet, 8.5 inches) for a nearly two-and-a-half foot improvement to finish fourth in the evenrt, moving to No. 6 in school history. The graduated school record-holder, Joe Ellis, won the competition in a facility- and meet-record 23.93m (78-6.25), which also stands as the farthest throw ever recorded on Michigan soil and the second-best throw in the world this year.
Professionals turned in another blazing performance as the Very Nice Track Club trio of Ann Arbor native Hobbs Kessler, U-M Olympian Mason Ferlic and five-time U-M Olympian Nick Willis all eclipsed the meet record at 3,000 meters with times of 7:59.41, 7:59.57 and 7:59.69, respectively.
Next Friday and Saturday (Jan. 28-29), Michigan hits the road for the first time this season. The distance runners will travel to the Indiana Relays in Bloomington, Ind., while the sprinters and field-event competitors will head to Lexington, Ky., for the Rod McCravy Memorial.
Michigan Results by Event
 q = qualified for final
60 meter dash
Prelims
9. Jacob Koerner / 7.02
10. Ryan McCloskey / 7.04
10. Joshua Zeller / 7.04 [New PR]
15. Bera Ajala / 7.12
200 meter dash
Final
3. Jacob Koerner / 21.90
600 meter run
Final
1. Dubem Amene / 1:17.41 [New PR]
3. Lawrence Gilliam / 1:22.13
5. Jack Juds / 1:23.17 [New PR]
800 meter run
Final
1. Derrick Simmons / 1:52.02
Mile
Final
5. Michael Hancock / 4:13.18 [New PR]
6. Anthony DeKraker / 4:13.24
7. Jack Spamer / 4:14.29 [New PR]
3000 meter run
Final
9. James Gedris / 8:41.78
60 meter hurdles
Final
2. Job Mayhue / 7.97 [New PR]
Prelims
1. Job Mayhue / 7.97Q [New PR]
Triple Jump
Final
3. Bera Ajala / 14.94m (49-0.25) [New PR]
Shot Put
Final
3. Aiden Felty / 15.66m (51-4.5)
9. Mason Mahacek / 11.77m (38-7.5)
Weight Throw
Final
4. Eli Winter / 19.42m (63-8.5) [New PR]
9. Tony Sommers / 16.48m (54-0.75)
Players Mentioned
