Michigan State University
Drake Relays
Track & Field Performs Well At Drake Relays
4/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 24, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa - The 2009 Michigan State track & field program continued its outdoor season with strong showings at the Drake Relays on Friday. The highlight of the day was the Spartans' performance in the pole vault. Three student-athletes - Katie Shaw (Lakeview, Mich.), Logan Lynch (Lambertville, Mich.) and Ashley Smith (Ceresco, Mich.) - posted regional qualifying marks in the event.
Shaw set a new personal-best mark after vaulting 4.00m (13-1 ½), qualifying her for NCAA regional competition and placing her sixth in the event. Smith also set a regional qualifying mark in the women's pole vault with a mark of 3.85m (12-7 ½), tying her outdoor personal-best.
Lynch, the lone MSU representative in the men's pole vault, also set a personal-best, smashing his previous mark with a vault of 5.20m (17-0 ¼), finishing just shy of the first-place mark of 5.30m (17-4 ½). His mark qualifies him for NCAA regional competition as well, giving MSU three regional qualifiers on the day at Drake.
Freshman Becca Buchholtz (East Troy, Wis.) also turned in an impressive performance, doing so in the high jump. The defending Big Ten Indoor Champion in the event, Buchholtz tied her outdoor personal-best mark of 1.70m (5-7), placing sixth overall.
The men's 4x400m relay, comprised of Keith Hewlett (Detroit, Mich.), Yury Ratomski (Novi, Mich.), Michael Smoot (Trenton, Mich.) and Jeremy Orr (Detroit, Mich.), posted a time of 3:11.24 in the preliminary heat, placing sixth amongst the field of 25 teams. The group qualified for the event finals, scheduled tentatively for tomorrow at 7:25 ET.
The men's 4x100m relay, consisting of Orr, Hewlett, Ratomski and Shane Wells (Romulus, Mich.) also qualified for the event finals after finishing in seventh out of 24 teams in the preliminary rounds. The foursome clocked in at 40.84 in heat three of the event. The 4x100m final will be run tomorrow evening at 6:25 p.m. ET. Wells also clocked in at 14.51 in the 110m hurdles, qualifying him for tomorrow's finals at 4:50 p.m. ET. He placed sixth in the preliminary heats.
At the Hillsdale College Gina Relays, the throwers highlighted a day packed with fine performances. Anthony Agrusa (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional in the hammer throw with a toss of 57.22m (187-9), placing third in the event. Jay Gillespie (Allen Park, Mich.) and Kyle Strotbaum (Grand Rapids, Mich.) finished sixth and seventh in the event, respectively.
Sophomore Ashley Lawrence (Troy, Mich.) kick-started the throwers on the women's side, posting a regional qualifying mark of 14.32m (46-11 ¾), marking the second consecutive week that she has posted a regional qualifying mark. Lawrence took home third place in the event.
The Spartans also saw success in the jump events, anchored by a pair of freshmen. Isaac Marshall (Rochester, Mich.) set a personal-best in the long jump, leaping 7.26m (23-10), narrowly missing a regional qualifying mark. Marshall earned third place in the event. Stephanie Thorstad (Clarkston, Mich.) highlighted the jumpers on the women's side, setting her collegiate outdoor personal-best at 1.65m (5-5). Thorstad, like Marshall, also turned in a top-five finish, placing fourth in the event.
Sophomore hurdler Jake Hamilton (Troy, Mich.) had a fine performance in the 400m hurdles as well, rounding out the top finishers for the Spartans on the day. Hamilton placed fourth amongst a field of 50 student-athletes with a time of 53.05, a personal season-best and the best mark by a Spartan in the event this year. Dennis Fortson (Ann Arbor, Mich.) finished ninth in the event with a time of 54.00.
The Spartans will resume both competitions tomorrow with the Drake Relays starting a 9 a.m. ET and the Gina Relays beginning at noon. For a complete recap, check back with www.msuspartans.com.
Players Mentioned
