Michigan State University
NCAA East Preliminary Rounds
Track & Field Concludes Competition at NCAA Opening Rounds
5/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
May 28, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Michigan State track & field team concluded action at the NCAA Opening Rounds hosted by Indiana University on Saturday, May 28 in Bloomington, Ind. The Spartans advanced three additional qualifiers to the NCAA Championships today to bring the team's total to seven individuals.
"I thought we had a solid finish today," said MSU director of track & field and cross country Walt Drenth. "From start to finish, we competed well today. I felt like the whole day, we were as good today as we were on Thursday, in terms of a competitive standpoint.
"We have definitely improved over the course of the season. We just need to keep getting better. I am really proud of the way everyone competed this weekend. We are making good progress as a whole. We lose two from this group of qualifiers next year, but I think we will have some individuals step up, including several who might have just missed qualifying this weekend."
Sophomore Beth Rohl led the charge as she posted her second NCAA qualifying mark of the weekend for the second-straight season. Rohl recorded a toss of 53.08m to placed fourth in flight three. Rohl's mark was also good enough for fourth overall in the event. Senior Ashley Lawrence was just behind Rohl overall with a distance of 53.01m for a personal-best mark. Lawrence's toss placed her first overall in flight two. Rohl posted her best toss of the afternoon on her first attempt while Lawrence's was recorded on her second.
Senior Emily MacLeod capped off MSU's track participants with a stellar performance in the 5,000m run to place second in heat two and third overall in the event. MacLeod jumped out in front of the pack from the start of the race and remained there throughout the run. At the 1,000m and 2,000m marks, MacLeod maintained a close lead over the lead pack. The Loveland, Ohio, native remained in the front until Emily Infeld of Georgetown made a kick down the straight away to pull out the win in heat two and overall. MacLeod clocked a personal-best time of 15:57.57, three seconds faster than her previous best. MacLeod's time was only three seconds behind the school-record mark set by Nicole Bush in 2009.
Junior Carlie Green joined MacLeod in the race as she ran in heat one of the competition. For Green, unfortunately, she was unable to get out in front early in the race and ran towards the back of the pack for the first few laps. Green finally found her way into the middle of the pack at the 1,000m mark, running in eighth overall. After dropping into about 14th place at the 2,000m mark, Green found her way back into ninth as the lead pack began to pull away 3,000m into the race. Green maintained close to her position as she finally finished 10th overall in 16:47.04 for 23rd-place overall.
A day after fouling all three attempts in the men's hammer throw, sophomore Lonnie Pugh qualified for the finals of the men's discus throw to close out the whole competition for MSU in Bloomington. After throwing a personal-best toss of 55.74m during his third attempt to place him first in flight two, Pugh had to wait for the third flight to finish before proceeded to the finals. Pugh enter finals ranked him fifth after the first three marks, however he wound up slipping to sixth-overall as he was passed during the second throw of the finals. This will mark Pugh's first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance in his career.
Pugh gives the throw squad for MSU four individual qualifiers in five events to the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
"Obviously, the improvement in the throwers is testament to several things. Coach Newell has done a tremendous job with each individual, and the kids have certainly bought into the philosophical belief. They are going for big marks, and when you go into a meet like this and you come in expecting to beat people, the big marks will follow. They have all trained well and have developed this season. They have all continued to climb the ladder," noted Drenth on the improvement of the throwing corp.
Sophomore Josh McAlary opened the track events for MSU in the men's 1,500m run. McAlary competed well, however he was unable to ever join the front of the pack in heat one, getting sucked up towards the trail of the race. McAlary managed to finish 10th in his heat and 20th overall with a time of 3:53.64.
Junior Leslie Aririguzo followed immediately after McAlary in the women's 100m hurdles. After qualifying for the quarterfinals on Friday, Aririguzo represented the Green and White as the lone short distance runner in the next round. Aririguzo clocked in a career-best time 13.46 for a sixth place in heat two. Overall, Aririguzo was 18th in the 100m hurdles.
With the addition of Lawrence, MacLeod and Pugh today to the previous qualifiers in freshman Zack Hill, sophomore Codi Mattix, Rohl and freshman Ashley Stacey, MSU has advanced seven individuals in eight events to the NCAA Championships in two weeks in Des Moines, Iowa.
"You can tell we are making progress. When you are in the meet from start to finish, and you have people competing at the top level, you are definitely making progress. I am happy with the number of individuals advancing this weekend to the NCAA Championships," said Drenth.
After a weekend off, the seven qualifying Spartans will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for the NCAA Track & Field Championships Wednesday-Saturday, June 8-11 held on the campus of Drake University. All individuals who placed in the top-12 in their respective event at either the East or West Regional advanced to the NCAA Championships.
Spartans Advancing to NCAA Track & Field Championships (June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa)
• Zack Hill
Shot Put (18.12m - 8th)
• Ashley Lawrence
Discus Throw (53.01 - 5th) - Personal Best
• Codi Mattix
Pole Vault (5.20m - 1st) - Personal Best
• Emily MacLeod
5,000m Run (15:57.57 - 3rd) - Personal Best
• Lonnie Pugh
Discus Throw (55.74m - 6th)
• Beth Rohl
Discus Throw (53.08m - 4th)
Hammer Throw (58.49m - 11th)
• Ashley Stacey
Long Jump (6.33m - 4th) - School Record
Players Mentioned
