Michigan
Windy City Invitational
Wolverines Close Out Chicago Trip with Historic Pole Vault
2/12/2022 5:16:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Chicago, Ill. (Track and Field Center at Gately Park)
Event: Windy City Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Result: No team scoring
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 18 -- host, Silverston Invitational (U-M Indoor Track Building), 4 p.m.
• Complete Results (PDF)
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Pole vaulter Jessica Mercier and the University of Michigan women's track and field team made it two straight days with a new school record at the Wisconsin Windy City Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 12) as she headlined the deepest performance by a single team in the event in Big Ten indoor history.
The indoor pole vault school record -- held for nearly a decade by Kiley (Tobel) Bastien, who now serves as a volunteer assistant for the vault and was in attendance, at 4.25m (13 feet, 11.25 inches) -- was eclipsed on three separate clearances by Mercier and Mia Manson on the infield of the Track and Field Center at Gately Park.
Mercier topped out at 4.36m (14 feet, 3.75 inches) for the win and the No. 4 spot in Big Ten indoor history, followed by Manson in second at 4.26m (13-11.75) and Brooke Tjerrild in third at 4.16m (13-7.75).
Mercier and Manson became the best 1-2 duo in Big Ten indoor history with a combined 8.62m of clearance, and the three of them now top the all-time Big Ten indoor leaderboard for teammate trios at 12.78m.
If anyone in the early going looked poised to emerge from Saturday as the new school record holder it was Manson or Tjerrild, neither of whom missed on their first three bars through 4.16m. Mercier, meanwhile, needed second-attempt makes at both her opening 3.86m and at 4.16m before clearing a new school-record 4.26m on her first go.
Tjerrild was unable to make it over at that height, and Manson needed all three of her attempts to clear the bar as she joined Mercier as the co-school-record-holder.
That tie atop the all-time U-M leaderboard would resolve itself moments later as Mercier got over 4.36m on her second attempt, while Manson could not make muster at that height.
Mercier took three attempts at 4.41m (14 feer, 5.5 inches), but did not clear it. She has a strong chance to make it to the NCAA Indoor Championships, as the last qualifying mark is currently at 4.33m (14-2.5).
Michigan's vault crew headlined a particularly strong day in the field, with three more top-four finishes between the triple jump and shot put.
Competing in her home state, Riley Ammenhauser extended her own U-M first-year record in the triple jump to 12.53m (41 feet, 1.25 inches) on her sixth-and-final attempt to move to second.
In the shot put sector, Amanda Schaare heaved a 15.69m (51-5.75) for third and Corinne Jemison went 15.04m (49-4.25) for fourth.
The Wolverines excelled on the track as well, with five top-eight finishes in the top-seeded sections of the track events.
All-American Ziyah Holman was the top performer on the track with a runner-up finish at 400 meters in 53.77 seconds.
Fellow All-American Ericka VanderLende established a new personal best in the mile for the second straight weekend as she went 4:41.82 for fifth in her race.
Michigan picked up a pair of sixth-place finishes from its newcomers in the straightaway events. First-year collegian BreeAna Bates clocked a new personal-best 7.44 seconds in the 60-meter final, and transfer Aasia Laurencin ran 8.38 in the 60-meter hurdles.
Bates is now tied with teammate Ameia Wilson -- who also ran 7.44 in the earlier rounds but did not contest the final – for No. 6 in school history.
Lauren Fulcher took seventh at 800 meters in 2:11.89.
Beyond hosting its regular-season-finale tune-up meet, the Silverston Invitational, at the U-M Indoor Track Building on Friday (Feb. 18), Michigan looks ahead to the Big Ten Indoor Championships, which will be held Feb. 25-26 in Geneva, Ohio.
Michigan Results by Event
Q = qualified for next round automatically
q = qualified for next round at-large
60 meter dash
Final
6. BreeAna Bates / 7.44 [New PR]
Semifinals
7. BreeAna Bates / 7.47q
8. Ameia Wilson / 7.48q
18. Hannah Waller / 7.69
20. Hanna Hearn / 7.76
Prelims
2. Ameia Wilson / 7.44q [New PR]
3. BreeAna Bates / 7.45q [New PR]
10. Hannah Waller / 7.56q
12. Hanna Hearn / 7.60q
200 meter dash
Final
12. BreeAna Bates / 24.36
16. Ziyah Holman / 24.55
24. Aasia Laurencin / 25.14
30. Chika Amene / 25.57
33. Simone Roberts / 26.14 [New PR]
34. Delaney Stersic / 26.40
35. Madison Eaton / 27.13
37. Paige Chapman / 27.30
400 meter dash
Final
2. Ziyah Holman / 53.77
Unseeded
7. Delaney Stersic / 57.97
12. Simone Roberts / 60.32 [New PR]
600 meter run
Final
1. Aurora Rynda / 1:27.05 [U-M Record]
8. Lauren Fulcher / 1:33.23
800 meter run
Final
7. Lauren Fulcher / 2:11.89
Unseeded
2. Eva Jansohn / 2:13.09
Mile
Final
5. Ericka VanderLende / 4:41.82 [New PR]
Unseeded
6. Julia Vanitvelt / 4:50.94
8. Lucy Petee / 4:52.71
12. Gabby Swider / 4:54.10 [New PR]
3000 meter run
Final
10. Samantha Tran / 9:35.56
11. Anne Forsyth / 9:36.04
5000 meter run
Final
--. Samantha Saenz / DNF
60 meter hurdles
Final
6. Aasia Laurencin / 8.38
Semifinals
6. Aasia Laurencin / 8.47q
12. Theresa Mayanja / 8.79
14. Carlita Taylor / 8.81
16. Madison Eaton / 8.88
18. Paige Chapman / 9.10
Prelims
4. Carlita Taylor / 8.72q
7. Theresa Mayanja / 8.78q
10. Madison Eaton / 8.85q
11. Paige Chapman / 8.97q
4x400 relay
Final
6. Delaney Stersic, Lauren Fulcher, Lucy Petee, Chika Amene / 3:52.72
Pole Vault
Final
1. Jessica Mercier / 4.36m (14-3.75) [U-M Record]
2. Mia Manson / 4.26m (13-11.75) [Superior to previous U-M record]
3. Brooke Tjerrild / 4.16m (13-7.75)
Long Jump
Final
1. Ameia Wilson / 6.19m (20-3.75) [New PR]
3. Hannah Waller / 6.00m (19-8.25) [New PR]
16. Theresa Mayanja / 5.03m (16-6)
--. Clare McNamara / NM
Triple Jump
Final
2. Riley Ammenhauser / 12.53m (41-1.25) [U-M first-year record]
Shot Put
Final
3. Amanda Schaare / 15.69m (51-5.75)
4. Corinne Jemison / 15.04m (49-4.25)
10. Clare McNamara / 11.29m (37-0.5)
--. Theresa Mayanja / NM
Players Mentioned
