Track and Field Wraps Up Action in Kalamazoo and Ashland

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Highlighted by Quiara Wheeler recording a Big Ten-leading toss in the elite women's hammer throw on Friday, the Michigan State track and field team completed its second day of action Saturday afternoon at the Ashland Alumni Open in Ashland, Ohio and the Jack Shaw Invitational in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Wheeler's hammer throw performance was one of two first-place finishes for her and one of 14 first-place finishes overall for the Spartans.

In Ashland, Friday featured a pair of noteworthy throws, as Wheeler tossed a season-best 63.70m distance in the women's hammer throw elite on her second attempt, a throw that earned her first place at the meet and the top spot in the Big Ten leaderboards. Next, Joshua DeVries posted a 61.41m personal record on his fifth attempt to place seventh in the elite men's hammer throw.

Wheeler followed up her impressive Friday by taking first place in the elite women's discus event at Ashland on Saturday, registering a 50.20m throw on her third attempt of the day. Later Saturday in the women's shot put event, Valadian Pallett posted a third-place finish with a 13.79m PR.

Westward in Kalamazoo, Saturday's action started out with a pair of unattached Spartan freshmen winning the shot put competitions, as Opal Jackson recorded a 13.42m toss on the women's side and Brendan Vander Meer tallied a 14.58m mark in the men's event. Right behind Vander Meer in the men's shot put was Ryan Talbot with a second-place 14.53m throw to set a new personal record, and the men's discus throw saw Heath Baldwin take fifth place with a PR of 39.97m.

The high jump at the Jack Shaw Invite had Spartans at the top of the competition in both the men's and women's events, as Elizabeth Knoll was first in the women's high jump at 1.60m, while Tylor Leedom and Heath Baldwin finished in a three-way tie for first place on the men's side at 1.95m. MSU also took the top spots in the pole vault, as Calli Ostapowicz had an event-best 3.65m vault in women's action and Michael Davenport was first among the men at 4.65m.

Track events in Kalamazoo got underway with the 3000m steeplechase, as the men's event featured Joshua Smith (9:21.40) and Justin Ferraro (10:02.93) both record new personal records.

Courtney Krupp posted a PR of 4:36.99 en route to winning the women's 1500m run, followed by unattached Olivia Millen finishing fifth at 4:46.45, Natalie Miller taking sixth at 4:48.93 and a 4:49.64 PR time putting Madison Price seventh.

In the men's 1500m, Aden Smith made his debut at the distance by running a 3:54.23 time to finish in first place, while unattached freshman Drew Seabase placed second at 3:55.50, with Tyler Pritchett (3:59.22) and Jack Huber (4:03.40) placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

The men's 110m hurdles ended with Baldwin in second at 14.78 and Talbot placing third at 15.08, and the women's 100m hurdles saw Kaia Scheffler win the event with a 13.98 time.

Antonio Postell II then claimed first in the men's 100m dash at a time of 11.08, and Zachary DiStefano won the men's 400m with a 50.33 posting. Finishing off the first-place finishes for MSU in Kalamazoo was Shakira Dancy using a 24.72 time to win the women's 200m dash.

Wrapping up the Jack Shaw Invite for the Spartans, Abigail Lee took third in the women's 5000m at a time of 18:03.35, while Annika Linzmeier posted a 18:06.17 time to place fourth.

Michigan State wraps up the regular season next Saturday, May 7 at the Len Paddock Open.

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Players Mentioned

Heath Baldwin

Shakira Dancy

Michael Davenport

Joshua DeVries

Zachary DiStefano

Justin Ferraro

Jack Huber

Opal Jackson

Elizabeth Knoll

Courtney Krupp

Abbey Lee

Tylor Leedom

Annika Linzmeier

Olivia Millen

Natalie Miller

Calli Ostapowicz

Valadian Pallett

Antonio Postell II

Madison Price

Tyler Pritchett

Kaia Scheffler

Drew Seabase

Aden Smith

Joshua Smith

Ryan Talbot

Brendan Vander Meer

Quiara Wheeler