Track and Field Grabs 11 Titles to Conclude 2022 Spartan Invite

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Despite chilly conditions, the Michigan State track and field teams had a solid showing in the 2022 Spartan Invite at Ralph Young Field on Saturday.

Hosting its first home meet since 2019, the Spartans won 11 total titles on the day between the track heats and the field events.

"It felt great to host this weekend," said Director of Track and Field Lisa Breznau. " It really takes a lot of people to put this meet on, not just our staff coming together and helping one another out, but everyone from facilities, sports medicine and sports information, all the components. Everything has to come together for these two days, and they're long days because you get all types of weather. We're really grateful for that, as it's all for our student athletes, for them to be able to compete at home, especially for some of our younger athletes to get a chance to compete this year."

Michigan State started action with a victory in the men's 4X100m relay with at time of 41.77. The team of Logan Allen, Terrence Muex, Zachary DiStefano and Antonio Postell II captured the first victory of the day for MSU. The Spartan women's team of Jaiden Paris, Amani Nuels, Kaia Scheffler and Shakira Dancy followed with a win in the 4x100 relay with a time of 46.22.

The Spartans finished 1-2-3 in the men's 1500m led by All-American Morgan Beadlescomb (3:42.81), school record holder John Petruno (3:43.18) and Andrew Nolan (3:48.09), who was running his first collegiate 1500m race, while Owen Huard was fifth at 3:50.00. Jeremy Kloss set a new personal best (3:51.50) to finish seventh, while Ty Buckley finished 17th with a huge personal-record time of 3:59.53 that put him as the top finisher in the third heat. In a rare occurrence, Saturday marked the first time sixth-year senior Beadlescomb competed collegiately at his home track of Ralph Young Field.

The women's 1500m also saw a pair of Spartans in the top finishers, as Eleanor Kendell ran a 4:35.94 to place second overall and Madelynn Bean finished sixth (4:41.61).

Heath Baldwin captured the title in the men's 110m hurdles with a time of 14.92, and Scheffler won the women's 100m hurdles, clocking in with a time of 14.13, while Avery Budz was seventh with a PR of 15.35.

In the men's 400m, Muex won the event with a 48.07 time, while DiStefano placed fourth at 49.46. In the women's race, Dancy finished third overall in 59.96.

Michigan State went 1-2 in the men's 800m race, led by event winner Jalen Smith, who crossed the finish line in 1:53.59, and DiStefano placed second with a time of 1:54.76. The Spartans added two more top-10 finishers in Hunter Zartman (1:57.14 PR – ninth) and Penski (1:57.84 – 10th).

Noah Sage tacked on to the MSU title count in the men's 200m, running away with first place at 21.81 in his first collegiate outdoor race at that distance.

The Spartans also had great success in the women's 200m as well, finishing 1-2-4. Paris and Nuels ran in heat one and battled to the finish line, with Paris coming out on top with a time of 24.87. Nuels was second, crossing the finish line in 25.30. Scheffler ran in heat two and was fourth overall with a time of 26.51.

In throws action, Valadian Pallett posted a pair of personal records, placing seventh in the women's discus at 44.02m and taking ninth in the shot put with a 13.47m toss. For the men's discus, Ryan Talbot placed eighth (42.34) and Baldwin followed in 18th with a 39.19m PR.

Heading to Jenison Field House, Budz captured the high jump event with a new personal best in her first event of the day (1.70m). Elizabeth Knoll also set a PR with a jump of 1.65m to finish third, while the men's high jump had Tylor Leedom place seventh with a 2.01m personal record.

Olivia Lopez finished in first place in the women's long jump with a best jump of 5.58m, and the men's long jump had Heath Baldwin as the top Spartan, finishing in third place (6.82m).

"I think both the men's and women's programs are in a great spot so far this outdoor season," added Breznau. "We've had a lot of season-bests and all-time PRs, but more than anything I think they're just learning to let go and compete and not care too much about the outcome in the moment. They're also doing a great job of focusing on what they have control over. You get things like delays out at Raleigh and inclement weather here, and we just remind them 'Hey, just like during last year, you have to have a flexible mind' and just reminding them of everything they've already overcome. So, I think like I said, both programs are in a fantastic place and ready to keep rolling."

Next up, Michigan State will send multi-event athletes to the Jim Click Shootout at the University of Arizona on April 7-8, while Quiara Wheeler will compete at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Miami, Fla., on April 8-9.

Track and Field Grabs 11 Titles to Conclude 2022 Spartan Invite

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Players Mentioned

Logan Allen

Heath Baldwin

Morgan Beadlescomb

Madelynn Bean

Ty Buckley

Avery Budz

Shakira Dancy

Zachary DiStefano

Owen Huard

Eleanor Kendell

Jeremy Kloss

Elizabeth Knoll

Tylor Leedom

Olivia Lopez

Tee Muex

Andrew Nolan

Amani Nuels

Valadian Pallett

Jaiden Paris

John Petruno

Antonio Postell II

Noah Sage

Kaia Scheffler

Jalen Smith

Ryan Talbot

Quiara Wheeler

Hunter Zartman