Michigan
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Michigan Men Start Strong on First Day of Big Tens
2/25/2022 8:55:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Institute)
Event: Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Result: 10th place of 12 teams (nine points) after Day 1
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 26 -- at Big Ten Indoor Championships - Day 2 (Geneva, Ohio), 11 a.m.
• Complete Results (PDF)
GENEVA, Ohio -- A new school record, multiple scoring performances in two events and a strong showing in the qualifying round for the University of Michigan men's track and field team on Friday (Feb. 25) headlined the first day of action at the Big Ten Indoor Championships inside the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
Dubem Amene became the latest new school record-holder as he took down a six-year-old standard at 400 meters in 46.34, and the Wolverines got three scoring efforts between the 3,000 meters and the distance medley relay.
Will Landowne and Tom Brady were sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 3,000 to score five points for Michigan, and the quartet of Cole Johnson, Lawrence Gilliam, Miles Brown and Austin Remick combined for a fifth-place effort in the distance medley relay to add four more points.
The Wolverines are 10th overall after day one with their nine points, but are in position to score many more on the second and final day of competition come Saturday (Feb. 26).
In addition to Amene at 400 meters, Michigan also advanced two qualifiers in the mile with Nick Foster and Oli Raimond, two at 800 meters in Cole Johnson and Henry Johnson (no relation), and one each in the 60-meter hurdles and 600 meters in Joshua Zeller and Brown, respectively. All have the potential to challenge for event titles and big points in their respective competitions.
In his record-setting run, Amene made a strong move near the halfway point to make sure he had the advantage when the field was about to cut in from their respective starting lanes into lane one, and he did not look back the rest of the way.
The performance eclipsed the six-year-old Michigan record held by multiple-time All-American Taylor McLaughlin, who clocked 46.42 on this same track en route to a third-place finish at the 2016 edition of Big Ten Indoors. He had run 46.90 in the prelims of that competition.
It also bolstered his chances of advancing to the NCAA Championships, though he will likely need to go faster in the final -- potentially into 45-second territory -- to ultimately clinch his spot at nationals.
In the lone individual track final of the day, the Wolverines accounted for four of the top 10 spots on the leaderboard, led by Landowne in 8:05.57 and Brady in 8:07.08. Christian Hubaker was right behind in ninth at 8:08.22, and Foster closed hard to rally to 10th in 8:10.90 after doubling back from a sub-four-minute effort in the mile prelims.
Landowne scored for the second time in his career dating back to the 2019 meet that was held in Ann Arbor, while Brady is a Big Ten Indoor scorer for the second-straight season after taking fifth at 5,000 meters last season. He will attempt to repeat as a point earner at that distance on Saturday.
The distance medley relay closed the evening with a 9:42.06 performance for four points. The Wolverines were at the front of the race heading into the 1,600-meter leg, but were unable to keep pace.
Michigan is in a good position to accumulate significant points with a strong slate of qualifying performances for the Wolverines that set them up for success on Saturday.
In what was ultimately the fastest mile preliminary round in meet history as six men ran sub-four minutes and broke current Director of Track and Field / Cross Country Kevin Sullivan's 4:00.56 from the 1998 championships, Foster and Raimond both survived and advanced.
Raimond ran 4:00.82 in the first heat for a time that would ultimately hold up for ninth overall and the third of four at-large qualifying times in a heat that featured three sub-four miles, and Foster went sub-four himself with a 3:59.72 for second in his heat and fifth overall.
It was the third weekend in a row Foster broke four minutes in the mile or its equivalent, including a 3:58.46 mile two weekends ago and a 3:56 anchor 1,600-meter leg on the school-record distance medley relay last Saturday.
Michigan also advanced two men to Saturday's 800-meter final as Cole Johnson and Henry Johnson swept the two automatic qualifying spots in their qualifying heat. In a battle that came down to a kick in the final 60 meters, Cole Johnson pulled away from former champion Dominic Peretta of Penn State and others to take the win in 1:50.43 as Henry Johnson followed him in a career-best 1:50.75.
Zeller will have an opportunity to deliver on his status as one of the pre-meet favorites as he advanced to the 60-meter hurdles final as the fourth-fastest qualifier. He posted a 7.79 performance for second in his heat despite making contact with – and being slowed by – numerous hurdles along the way.
Another title contender, Brown, turned in an impressive performance in the 600-meter preliminaries as he won his heat in 1:17.48 and finished fourth overall among the qualifiers.
Also in position to potentially score points on day two is heptathlete Mason Mahacek, who finished the first of the two-day event with a score of 2,943 points in ninth place. He opened with a season-best-tying 7.23 run at 60 meters, and followed with a solid 6.49m (21-3.5) effort in the long jump. He was just off his career-best in the shot put at 12.14m (39-10), and closed the day with a career-best 2.03m (6-8) clearance in the high jump.
Though he is only currently ninth, his effort on Friday is the second-best day-one effort of his career. He has strong events remaining in the pole vault and 1,000 meters.
The final day of the Big Ten Indoor Championships will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday (Feb. 26) with the 60-meter hurdles.
Michigan Results by Event
Q / q = qualified for final
200 meter dash
Prelims
11. Dubem Amene / 21.33
20. Jacob Koerner / 21.69 [New PR]
400 meter dash
Prelims
3. Dubem Amene / 46.34Q [U-M Record]
600 meter run
Prelims
4. Miles Brown / 1:17.48q
800 meter run
Prelims
2. Cole Johnson / 1:50.43Q
6. Henry Johnson / 1:50.75Q [New PR]
19. Thomas Shilgalis / 1:52.22
--. Derrick Simmons / DNF
Mile
Prelims
5. Nick Foster / 3:59.72Q
7. Oli Raimond / 4:00.82q
18. Anthony Dekraker / 4:09.23
20. Austin Remick / 4:09.97
24. Colton Yesney / 4:11.67
3000 meter run
Final
6. Will Landowne / 8:05.57 [3 team pts]
7. Tom Brady / 8:07.08 [2 team pts]
9. Christian Hubaker / 8:08.22
10. Nick Foster / 8:10.90
12. Oli Raimond / 8:14.73
60 meter hurdles
Prelims
4. Joshua Zeller / 7.79q
11. Job Mayhue / 8.06
Distance Medley Relay
Final
5. Cole Johnson, Lawrence Gilliam, Miles Brown, Austin Remick / 9:42.06
Pole Vault
Final
11. Henry Sheldon / 4.85m (15-11)
Shot Put
Final
17. Aiden Felty / 16.90m (55-5.25) [New PR]
Heptathlon
Through 4 of 7 events
9. Mason Mahacek / 2,943 points
Mason Mahacek
High Jump / 2.03m (6-8) ( pts) [New PR] / Place: 3
60 meter dash / 7.23 ( pts) / Place: 4
Shot Put / 12.14m (39-10) ( pts) / Place: 11
Long Jump / 6.49m (21-3.5) ( pts) / Place: 12
Players Mentioned
