Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Track & Field Splits Weekend Competition
4/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 18, 2013
WATCH: Track & Field Preview
Jesse Owens Classic Meet Information
EMU Twilight Invitational Meet Information
Larry Ellis Invitational Meet Information
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State track & field program will split competition this weekend as the team heads to the Jesse Owens Track Classic, the EMU Twilight Invitational and the Larry Ellis Invitational.
Hosted by the Ohio State University, the Jesse Owens Track Classic will see competition with athletes from over 35 colleges. The meet will be held in Columbus, Ohio, at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium with events scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 19 and continue Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m.
The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Twilight Invitational will be held at the Olde-Marshall Track in Rynearson Stadium. Friday's events are scheduled for 3 p.m., while events on Saturday will start at 10 a.m.
A handful of Spartans will also be traveling to Princeton University for the Larry Ellis Invitational. They will compete on Friday with events to begin at 12 p.m..
Last Time Out
MSU was represented at the Spec Towns National Team Invitational last weekend in Athens, Ga. The Spartans posted three individual wins and nine personal-best performances.
Improving his personal best by 10 feet in the men's discus throw, redshirt sophomore Antonio James turned in a big personal record of 58.04m/ 190-5 for a runner-up finish. The mark surpassed that of the 2012 Big Ten discus champion and moves him into the No. 3 spot in the conference rankings.
Big Ten leader and No. 3 NCAA East Region in the triple jump, sophomore Tori Franklin posted a winning mark of 13.13m/ 43-1. Junior Ashley Stacey (No. 3 in the Big Ten) and sophomore Jarred Gambrell (No. 4 in the Big Ten) also turned in personal-bests in the triple jump competition with marks of 12.66m/ 41-6½ and 15.34m/ 50-4, respectively.
Redshirt senior Beth Rohl took home two individual wins at the meet last weekend. She recorded a mark of 59.93m/ 196-7 to claim a win on the first day of competition in the hammer throw, before taking home first-place honors in the discus throw on day two with a mark of 51.87m/ 170-2.
Conference Honors
For her winning mark at the Spec Towns Invitational, sophomore Tori Franklin was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week on Wednesday, April 17. The Westmont, Ill., native is the Big Ten leader in the triple jump and earns her first outdoor conference laurel and third of her career. It marks the first Outdoor Athlete of the Week honors for Michigan State since 2008.
Qualifying for the NCAA Preliminary Championships
Qualification to NCAA Preliminary Championship Competition is based on the descending order list for the season, segregated by east and west sites, and prepared solely from the mandatory submission of meet results during the season. For each individual event contested at each Preliminary Championship Competition, the top-48 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested at each Preliminary Championship Competition, the top-24 declared relay teams will be accepted into the competition.
Climbing the Rankings
Michigan State currently has 21 individuals and two relays in the top-48 in the NCAA East Regional rankings. The women's 4x400-meter relay is currently second in the Big Ten and No. 15 in the East Region, while the 4x100-meter relay is fourth in the conference and No. 22 in the East Region. The Spartans ranked in their individual events include the following student-athletes:
| Men: | ||
| Keenan Michael | 5th | 400-meter hurdles (51.44) |
| Antonio James | 5th | Discus (58.04m/ 190-5) |
| 16th | Shot Put (17.86m/ 58-7½) | |
| 17th | Hammer (61.37m/ 201-4) | |
| Caleb Rhynard | 10th | 5,000m (13:57.99 |
| Josh McAlary | 13th | 1,500m (3:45.44) |
| Jarred Gambrell | 17th | Triple Jump (15.34m/ 50-4) |
| Lonnie Pugh | 21st | Discus (54.78m/ 179-9) |
| Cliff Miller/Derik Peterman | T-28th | Pole Vault (5.08m/ 16-8) |
| Austin Wissler | 36th | 800m (1:50.26) |
| Codi Mattix/ James Nixon | T-38th | Pole Vault (4.95m/ 16-2¾) |
| Women: | ||
| Tori Franklin | 3rd | Triple Jump (13.13m/ 43-1) |
| 48th | 400m (54.75) | |
| Beth Rohl | 7th | Discus (52.53m/ 172-4) |
| 8th | Hammer (60.12m/ 197-3) | |
| Leah O'Connor | 14th | 1,500m (4:20.75) |
| 32nd | 3,000m Steeplechase (10:35.82) | |
| Amanda Impellizeri | 17th | Pole Vault (4.02m/ 13-2¼) |
| Ashley Stacey | 18th | Triple Jump (12.66m/ 41-6½) |
| 28th | Long Jump (6.07m/ 19-11) | |
| Jaelynn Pryor | 20th | 400m hurdles (59.45) |
| Rachel McFarlane | 37th | 5,000m (16:29.74) |
| Sarah Birkmeier | 41st | Pole Vault (3.87m/ 12-8¼) |
| Katie Landwehr | 45h | 3,000m Steeple (10:41.31) |
| Alicia Evans | 46th | 200m (24.00) |
The following Spartans rank among the top-five in the Big Ten conference this season:
| Men: | ||
| Antonio James | 3rd | Discus (58.04m/ 190-5) |
| Josh McAlary | 4th | 1,500m (3:54.04) |
| Caleb Rhynard | 4th | 5,000-meter (13:57.99) |
| Keenan Michael | 4th | 400-meter hurdles (51.44) |
| Jarred Gambrell | 5th | Triple Jump (15.34m/ 50-4) |
| Women: | ||
| Tori Franklin | 1st | Triple Jump (13.13m/ 43-1) |
| Amanda Impellizzeri | 2nd | Pole Vault (4.02m/ 13-2¼) |
| Leah O'Connor | 2nd | 1,500-meter run (4:20.75) |
| Ashley Stacey | 3rd | Long Jump (6.07m/ 19-11) |
| 3rd | Triple Jump (12.66m/ 41-6½) | |
| Beth Rohl | 4th | Discus (56.85m/ 186-6) |
| 5th | Hammer (62.87m/ 206-3) | |
| Sarah Birkmeier | 5th | Pole Vault (3.87m/ 12-8¾) |
| Jaelynn Pryor | 5th | 400-meter hurdles (57.33) |
Next Up
The Spartans will again disperse across the country to compete at the nationally-renowned Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., and the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif. Events will begin on Wednesday, April 24 and continue through Saturday, April 27.
