Track & Field Heads to Meyo Invitational on Friday

Feb. 4, 2009

Track & Field Coverage
• Mike • Beth

2008-09 Top Event Performances
• Men
• Women

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 2008-09 Michigan State track & field program will continue its indoor season this weekend as it will take part in the Meyo Invitational, hosted by the University of Notre Dame. The two-day event is scheduled to begin on Friday at 5 p.m. with competition resuming Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at the Loftus Center. The Spartan men and women both finished in second place at the Notre Dame Invitational two weeks ago after defeating teams from both Wisconsin and Marquette. The trip will mark the teams second consecutive trip to Notre Dame and third straight to Indiana.

MSU is off to one of its best starts this indoor season as three Spartans have posted Big Ten-bests in their respective events, highlighted by senior Jeremy Orr (Detroit, Mich.), who holds the conference's top mark in the 200m dash. Orr clocked in at 21.24 at the Notre Dame Invitational, giving him nearly a 0.2 advantage over the next closest competitor, Stephen Robinson of Ohio State. It is also the eighth-best time in the nation thus far this season. Orr also holds the second-best Big Ten mark in the 400m dash, as his time of 47.31 at the Indiana Invitational ranks him ninth in the nation according to the USTFCCCA Poll.

Also atop their events in the Big Ten is sophomore long jumper Kyron Foster (Deltona, Fla.) and sophomore thrower Ashley Lawrence (Troy, Mich.). Foster leaped a personal-best 7.27m (23-10 1/4) in his first-ever appearance in the long jump at the MSU Open back in December. No Big Ten jumper has topped that mark this season. Lawrence also set her mark in the season-opening meet back in December as her career-best weight throw of 18.23m (59-9 3/4) has yet to be topped in the Big Ten this season.

The distance runners have been climbing up the Big Ten ranks since making their debut at the Indiana Invitational. After running off-events for conditioning purposes at that event, the distance runners were back in their normal events at the Notre Dame Invite. Senior Lisa Senakiewich (Davison, Mich.) set an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the mile run at the event after clocking in at 4:46.78, the third-best time in the Big Ten this season. Senakiewich also holds the fourth-best Big Ten mark in the 3,000m run after finishing in 9:34.02 at the Indiana Invite. Her time was just 0.02 away from provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Junior Emily MacLeod (Cincinnati, Ohio) is right behind Senakiewich in the mile run. Her time of 4:48.75 currently sits as the fourth-best time in the Big Ten this season.

Junior Shane Knoll (Warren, Mich.), who enters the week as the nation's No. 17 mile runner, also shined at the Notre Dame Invite two weeks ago. His time of 4:04.21 was the top time in the Big Ten after that weekend and currently sits as the fourth-best in the conference. Sophomore hurdler Shane Wells (Romulus, Mich.) also holds the Big Ten's fourth-best mark in the 60m hurdles.

The Spartan throwers have also been putting up impressive marks as the men hold three of the top 10 weight throw marks in the Big Ten this season. Jay Gillespie (Allen Park, Mich.) and Anthony Agrusa (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, while senior Kyle Strotbaum (Grand Rapids, Mich.) ranks ninth.

Freshman Beth Rohl (New Buffalo, Mich.) also ranks among the Big Ten elite with the third-best weight throw mark and ninth-best shot put. Rohl, as just a freshman, has set a team-high in the shot put with a toss of 18.10m (59-4 3/4) at the Indiana Invitational.

For a complete recap of the Meyo Invitational along with complete results, check back with www.msuspartans.com.