Track & Field Wins Six Event Titles At Wolverine Invitational

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan State Track & Field opened the 2019 indoor season with several strong performances at the Wolverine Invitational inside the U-M Indoor Track Building Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans won six event titles and took second place in five events, setting new meet records along the way.

COMPLETE MEET RESULTS

"I was very pleased with several of the kids today; it was a great first day for us out there," Director of Track & Field Walt Drenth said. "I really loved our fight out there and one of the challenges was I wanted to see us not be distracted; be locked into our jobs and be good teammates. That was a highlight today."

MSU took home two titles in the jumps, with senior Ellen DiPietro starting the day off with a victory in the women's high jump. She cleared 1.78 meters, breaking the meet record of 1.73m set in 2018. Senior Asya Reynolds took home the long jump title with a leap of 5.75 meters, also setting a new meet record along the way.

In the pole vault, sophomore Sophia Franklin broke her own meet record (3.80m) from a year ago, clearing 4.00-meters to take home the victory for MSU.

Freshman Rebecca Mammel made it two-straight victories in the women's weight throw after she took home the title at the GVSU Holiday Open in December. Mammel was the only competitor to toss the weight more than 20 meters, doing it three different times. Her farthest throw of 20.48m set a new meet record.

"Rebecca had some huge throws for a freshman," Drenth said. "She's throwing 67 feet already, and she will throw it farther by the end of the year. That's a big deal."

On the track, sophomore Morgan Beadlescomb ran 8:12.17 to win the men's 3,000-meters race, followed closely behind by senior teammate, Justine Kiprotich, who crossed the line in 8:15.66 to finish second. Both Beadlescomb and Kiprotich broke the previous 3,000m meet record. Juniors Amber Way (9:39.62) and Mackenzie Weiler (9:41.11) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the women's 3,000m.

Redshirt-junior Jonathan Fife set a meet record of 6.78 in the men's 60-meter dash to win the title for the Spartans. Freshman teammate Joe Stevens ran 6.91 to finish tied for fifth place.

Senior Taylor Mullins finished second in the women's 600-meters with a time of 1:35.63. In the women's 400-meters, senior Denise Spann took third, running 57.74. Junior Carlyn Arteaga ran a new personal record of 2:10.21 in the women's 800-meters, on the way to a second place finish.

"A big highlight out there today was our men's short sprinters," Drenth said. "There was a good field in the men's 60, and they all ran fast. I was really impressed with Jon (Fife). Things weren't going the way he wanted them to go in the past, and he has embraced the challenge. I can't say enough about his growth as a student, as a teammate, and as an athlete. Morgan (Beadlescomb) was really good today, and Denise Spann really exemplified that fight I wanted to see out there. The fight she showed is contagious to the team."

The Spartans return to Ann Arbor Saturday, Jan. 19 for the Simmons-Harvey Invitational at the U-M Indoor Track Building.

Track & Field Wins Six Event Titles At Wolverine Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Carlyn Arteaga

Morgan Beadlescomb

Ellen DiPietro

Jonathan Fife

Sophia Franklin

Justine Kiprotich

Rebecca Mammel

Taylor Mullins

Asya Reynolds

Denise Spann

Amber Way

Mackenzie Weiler