Michigan State University
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Track & Field Captures Three Podium Finishes on First Day of B1G Indoor Championships
2/24/2023 9:50:00 PM | Track and Field
GENEVA, Ohio – Michigan State track & field opened the first day of competition in Geneva, Ohio at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, recording three podium finishes at the SPIRE Instiute.
The Spartans kicked off Day One with a pair of qualifiers in the first round of the men's and women's miles. In the men's mile, graduate student John Petruno finished fourth in his heat, running 4:13.05, to earn an automatic qualifying spot into Saturday's final. In the first heat, juniors Luke Perelli (4:07.40, eighth) and Alexander Penski (4:08.13, ninth) both ran personal bests, but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the final as both time qualifiers came fifth and sixth place in heat one.
In the women's mile, sophomore Olivia Millen used a six-second personal best of 4:45.94 to clinch the final time-qualifying spot, finishing sixth in her heat. Senior Alison Ziehl narrowly missed qualification, finishing third in her heat with a time of 4:51.53.
Petruno will run in the men's mile final on Saturday at 1:20 p.m., followed by Millen in the women's final at 1:30 p.m.
MSU picked up its first points of the day in the men's pole vault final, led by fifth-year senior Trevor Stephenson, who earned runner-up honors in the event with a 5.35m clearance. After missing his first attempt at 5.45m, Stephenson passed his final two attempts at the height to opt for two attempts at 5.55m. Indiana's Nathan Stone used a first-attempt 5.45m clearance for the win, as Stephenson was unable to clear 5.55m. Teammate Michael Davenport finished fourth, clearing 5.15m. Both Stephenson and Davenport had their best Big Ten Championship finishes in the event.
The Spartans began the sprinting events Friday afternoon with the men's 400m, where sophomore Noah Sage finished second in his heat and 11th overall in the prelims with a time of 47.65. In the women's 400m prelims, graduate student Nala Barlow ran 56.28 for 18th place and junior Lexy Alston ran an indoor personal best of 57.96. Senior Antonio Postell finished 12th in the 60m prelims with a time of 6.84, and senior Amani Nuels clocked 7.50 on the women's side to finish 18th.
Continuing in the distance events Friday afternoon, senior Judith Rector ran a personal best of 2:08.70 in the women's 800m prelims, finishing just two spots out of Saturday's final. Junior Abbey Carvey finished behind rector in 2:08.94, and sophomore Shae Harbaugh ran a three-second personal best of 2:09.95 to place 14th.
In the multis, senior Heath Baldwin is the current leader in the heptathlon after four events. Baldwin set personal bests in the shot put (15.58m) and high jump (2.15m), finishing first in both events. His point total after Day One of competition, 3,403, is just 17 points shy of the halfway point total from his school-record 5,959 performance on Jan. 28 at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational.
Sophomore Dylan Terryberry (2856) and senior Ryan Talbot (2816) sit in seventh and 10th place, respectively, after Day One. Terryberry set personal bests in the first three events of the day, running 7.20 in the 60m and posting marks of 6.77m in the long jump and 13.77m in the shot put.
The lone thrower on the men's side Friday, junior Joshua DeVries, set a personal best of 18.76m in the weight throw, his first time over 60 feet. Sophomore Valadian Pallett was the only Spartan to compete in the event on the women's side, finishing eighth overall after using a personal-best throw of 19.38m on her sixth and final throw.
In the final individual distance events of the day, a trio of Spartans competed in the men's 5000m, led by graduate student CarLee Stimpfel. Stimpfel picked up a point for MSU in eighth place, running 14:20.19. Junior Andrew Lane finished 12th in 14:34.58 and senior Aden Smith ran 14:41.86.
In the women's 5000m, junior Makenna Veen was MSU's highest finisher in 11th place, running 16:32.89, just a second off her personal best. Junior Taylor Visscher finished 15th in a personal best of 16:38.55 and graduate student Grace Molloy ran 16:41.15 to finish 17th, also running a personal best. Junior Eleanor Kendell ran 17:04.59 for a personal best and fifth-place finish in the first heat.
MSU wrapped up the day with a pair of podium finishes in the distance medley relays. In the men's DMR, Petruno (1200m), Sage (400m), Gage Killewald (800m) and Owen Huard (1600m) ran 9:38.29 for bronze. On the women's side, MSU's school-record team of Lauren Freeland (1200m), Shakira Dancy (400m), Kate Stewart-Barnett (800m) and Katie Osika (1600m) ran 11:05.40 for a runner-up finish behind Michigan.
The Spartans end the first day of competition in third place in the men's team standings with 20 points and 10th on the women's side with nine points.
The final day of the B1G Championships is set for Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
