Michigan
Wolverine Invitational
U-M Women Off to Strong Start with Performance at Wolverine Invite
1/8/2022 3:49:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Indoor Track Building)
Event: Wolverine Invitational
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 15 -- host, Simmons-Harvey Invitational (U-M Indoor Track Building), TBA
• Complete Results (PDF)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Returning Big Ten champions and scorers from the University of Michigan women's track and field team showed little to no rust as the Wolverine women opened their 2020 indoor campaign Saturday (Jan. 8) with the home Wolverine Invitational at the U-M Indoor Track Building.
Past conference gold medalists Jessica Mercier and Aurora Rynda kicked off their winters with wins in the pole vault and 600 meters, respectively, in meet-record fashion.
They were supported with additional victories from newcomer BreeAna Bates at both 60 and 200 meters, Amanda Schaare in the shot put, Ericka VanderLende in the mile, Samantha Tran at 800 meters, Ameia Wilson in the long jump and Anne Forsyth at 3,000 meters.
The two-time conference winner and outdoor school record-holder Mercier was perfect through her meet-record winning height of 4.13m (13 feet, 6.5 inches), leading a U-M pole vault corps that posted its deepest team effort in program history. She was joined at 4.13m by teammate Mia Manson, who was second on a tiebreak. It was the first time in program history two women both cleared 4.10m or higher in the same event.
Transfer Brooke Tjerrild made a strong debut with a 3.98m (13 feet, 0.75 inch) for third, giving Michigan its first-ever trio of 13-foot vaulters, indoors or out. Cate Visscher also posted a career-best at 3.83m (12-6.75), also making the first time four Michigan vaulters cleared 3.80m or higher.
The trio of Mercier, Manson and Tjerrild all likely will end up in the top-eight of the Big Ten by weekend's end, with both Mercier and Manson likely in the top-20 nationally.
Based on results entering the meet, Rynda's 1:29.35 victory at 600 meters stands as the national leader in the event, which is not contested at the NCAA Championships. It is contested at the Big Ten Championships, where Rynda is a two-time champion in the event.
Schaare picked up where she left off after last year's breakthrough campaign, winning the shot put in a new career-best 16.19m (53 feet, 1.5 inches). Only two other Big Ten throwers have gone farther in 2021-22 entering this weekend, and it was far enough to land her at No. 2 in school history. She bypassed Sonya Payne -- the first Black woman in school history in any sport to earn All-America honors -- and Allison Liske, who now goes by Allison Boevers as a volunteer coach for the Wolverines.
Corinne Jemison was the runner-up at 15.58m (51 feet, 1.5 inches) in her first shot put competition since her senior year of high school in 2018.
Bates made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut for the Wolverines, taking the victory over 60 meters in 7.51 seconds. The high school state runner-up last year, she moved up to No. 8 in school history and is already among the Big Ten's fastest this season. Entering the weekend, only five other women in the conference had run as fast or faster.
Multiple-time All-American and Big Ten medalist VanderLende opened her winter campaign with a career-best 4:46.11 mile, pulling away from teammate Samantha Saenz, who also recorded a career-best in 4:50.85.
The Wolverines got additional distance wins from Tran over 800 meters in 2:09.28 and Forsyth over 3,000 meters in 9:33.80.
Michigan also got a strong 1-2 finish from Wilson and Riley Ammenhauser in the long jump. Wilson leapt out a career-best and meet-record 5.86m (19 feet, 2.75 inches), with Ammenhauser making her U-M debut with a 5.71m (18-8.75) jump for second.
Full Michigan Results by Event
q = qualified for final
60 meter dash
Final
1. BreeAna Bates / 7.51
Prelims
1. BreeAna Bates / 7.61Q
8. Madison Eaton / 8.17
200 meter dash
Final
1. BreeAna Bates / 24.53
6. Simone Roberts / 27.26
7. Delaney Stersic / 28.31
600 meter run
Final
1. Aurora Rynda / 1:29.35 (Meet Record)
800 meter run
Final
1. Samantha Tran / 2:09.28
2. Alice Hill / 2:12.42
3. Gabby Swider / 2:13.94 [New PR]
Mile
Final
1. Ericka VanderLende / 4:46.11 [New PR]
2. Samantha Saenz / 4:50.85 [New PR]
4. Eva Jansohn / 4:57.23
5. Julia Vanitvelt / 4:57.42
--. Lucy Petee / DNF
3,000 meter run
Final
1. Anne Forsyth / 9:33.80 [New PR]
60 meter hurdles
Final
2. Theresa Mayanja / 8.73
6. Madison Eaton / 9.44
7. Clare McNamara / 9.58
Prelims
1. Theresa Mayanja / 8.80Q
4. Madison Eaton / 8.98q
8. Clare McNamara / 9.82q
4x400 relay
Final
2. Michigan / 3:53.31
3. Michigan / 4:04.11
High Jump
Final
4. Theresa Mayanja / 1.56m (5-1.5)
5. Clare McNamara / 1.51m (4-11.5)
Pole Vault
Final
1. Jessica Mercier / 4.13m (13-6.5) (Meet Record)
2. Mia Manson / 4.13m (13-6.5) [New PR] (Meet Record)
3. Brooke Tjerrild / 3.98m (13-0.75)
4. Cate Visscher / 3.83m (12-6.75) [New PR]
5. Morgan Flynn / 3.38m (11-1)
Long Jump
Final
1. Ameia Wilson / 5.86m (19-2.75) [New PR] (Meet Record)
2. Riley Ammenhauser / 5.71m (18-8.75)
Shot Put
Final
1. Amanda Schaare / 16.19m (53-1.5) [New PR] (Meet Record)
2. Corinne Jemison / 15.58m (51-1.5)
Players Mentioned
