Michigan State University
GVSU Big Meet
Track & Field Heads to Chicago, GVSU This Weekend
2/9/2023 3:06:00 PM | Track and Field
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State track and field is back in action this weekend, Feb. 10 and 11, participating in two meets across two states. A contingent of Spartans will make their way back to Allendale, Michigan, to participate in The Big Meet hosted by Grand Valley State, while several Spartans will head to Chicago, Illinois, to take part in the Windy City Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin.
The Spartans will send part of its distance and sprinting squads to The Big Meet, which welcomes 100 schools to GVSU's Kelly Family Sports Center. Four Spartans will make their season debuts in the women's 5,000-meter-run with 10 heats spread throughout the day. On the women's side, freshmen Anyssa Hall and Melissa Avi will compete in the 60m and 200m dash, while senior Elizabeth Dalrymple and sophomore Tess Piper will make their season debuts in the 800m and mile run, respectively. On the men's side, junior Luke Perelli will compete in the mile run, while freshman Regan Lawrence and sophomore Hunter Zartman will take part in the 60m hurdles and 800m, respectively.
MSU will send the rest of its track and field squad to Chicago to participate in the Windy City Invitational, competing against 13 schools, including five Big Ten foes, across the two-day meet.
Spartan jumpers will kick off Friday's action in the men's and women's long jump headlined by sophomore's Jalen Nelson and Autumn Glover. Junior Heath Baldwin and freshman Breanne Black will compete in the men's and women's pole vault, respectively.
Spartan sprinters will also be in action Friday, competing in six events throughout the day. Baldwin and junior Kaia Scheffler headline the 60m hurdles while Amani Nuels and Antonio Postell are the lone sprinters in the 60m dash. Five Spartans will compete in the men's and women's 400m dash.
In the distance events, several Spartans will make season debuts in the men's 5,000m, including graduate student CarLee Stimpfel, and four runners will compete in the men's and women's mile run. Junior Joshua DeVries and sophomore Valadian Pallett are the notable Spartans to watch in the weight throw.
Spartan jumpers and throwers kick off Saturday's action with four members competing in men's shot put and freshmen Natalie Blake and Sophia Mettes competing in women's pole vault. Sophomores Pallett and Opal Jackson will participate in the women's shot put, while Trevor Stephenson headlines a Spartan trio in men's pole vault. An additional four Spartans will compete in men's and women's high jump, concluding Saturday's field events.
MSU will compete in four distance events on Saturday, including numerous entries in the men's and women's 3,000m, led by junior Andrew Nolan on the men's side and graduate student Katie Osika on the women's side. The Spartans have four entries in the men's and women's mile run.
In sprints, the Spartans will compete in the 200m and 800m dash. Senior Shakira Dancy is the lone Spartan sprinter in the women's 200m, while Jalen Smith makes his season debut in the men's 800m. MSU will be represented by three runners in the women's 800m. The Spartans will also take part in the men's 4x400m relay for the first time since racing in the Simmons-Harvey Invitational on Jan. 21.
Up next, the Spartans will participate in another weekend doubleheader, competing in the Silverston Invitational in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Friday, Feb. 17 before heading to South Bend, Indiana, to participate in the Alex Wilson Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 18 in what will be the final tune-up before the Big Ten Indoor Championships taking place on Feb. 24-25 in Geneva, Ohio.
Players Mentioned
