Friday, February 23
Geneva, Ohio
Michigan State University
at
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Photo by: Jack Moreland
Spartans Primed for Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships
2/22/2024 10:58:00 AM | Track and Field
GENEVA, Ohio – The Spartans will take on the Big Ten's best at the Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday at the SPIRE Academy Indoor Track.
Live Results | Track Events Stream | Field Events Stream | Meet Info
The scored meet will be the final opportunity for MSU athletes to post NCAA Championship qualifying national top-16 marks in hopes of representing Michigan State on the national stage on March 8 and 9 in Boston, Mass..
The Spartans roster features three former conference champions, including graduate student Heath Baldwin who is already solidly in the heptathlon national championships field. Fellow graduate student heptathlete Ryan Talbot will look to join Baldwin with a solid performance over the weekend.
On the women's side junior Kate Stewart-Barnett and graduate student Lauren Freeland will aim for sub-4:30 times in the mile for their shot at NCAA's.
Season Headlines Review
Silverston Invite/GVSU Tune-Up – Feb. 16, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich./Allendale, Mich.
Spartans Finish Regular Season with Podium Sweeps
Michigan State concluded the indoor regular season on a high note as 15 Spartans landed on the podium, including four event wins, and several personal records.
At the GVSU Tune-Up, Michigan State women finished sub-5 and claimed each step of the podium in the mile and took the top six spots in the 3000m race. Grad Judith Rector led the way in the 3K with a PR of 9:41.15 while sophomore Sarah Coyne took first in the mile with a PR of her own at 4:55.20.
Claiming first and second in the women's weight throw were juniors Valadian Pallett and Janan Khalil with personal bests at 20.03 and 18.29 meters respectively.
The men's throwers showed up on the day in Allendale, too, claiming second and third in both the weight throw and shot put. Junior Brendan Vander Meer took silver in the shot put while freshman Xavier Griffiths finished right behind him. Griffiths claimed his second medal of the day, finishing second in the weight throw while senior Joshua Devries was third.
Meanwhile in Ann Arbor, the MSU men's distance squad once again found success in its fourth and final trip to U-of-M's indoor track this indoor season.
Sophomore Owen Gilbert took charge in the 800m, claiming first place and PRing at 1:55.21. Junior Gage Killewald was second in the mile, also behind a personal record, finishing at 4:08.51.
Windy City Invite/Valentine Invite/GVSU Big Meet – Feb. 9-10, 2024 | Chicago, Ill./Boston, Mass./Allendale, Mich.
49 Spartans PR, 10 Land on the Podium
The Spartans were split up between the Windy City Invite, the Valentine Invitational and the GVSU 'Big Meet' over the two days, with the vast majority of the varsity athletes competing in Chicago at the prestigious meet that featured several other Big Ten and Power-5 programs.
Among the 49 personal bests set by athletes between the two days, 25/35 (71.4%) of distance runners set career best marks. In Boston, Mass. on Friday at Boston University's 'world's fastest track,' grad Lauren Freeland represented the four Spartan women running there well with a 4:33.92 mile time that is on the fringe of qualifying her for the NCAA Championships in March.
- Grad Heath Baldwin was 1st in the Long Jump Friday with a PR of 7.36m
- Sophomore Brady Schultz was 2nd in the Long Jump Saturday, PRing for a second consecutive meet, now up to 2.09m
- Grad CarLee Stimpfel was 3rd in the premier 5K invite with a blitzing time of 13:55.42, also a personal best
- Senior Aden Smith was 1st in the open 5K on Friday, also PRing
- Senior Andrew Nolan and sophomore Riley Hough were the first two to cross the line in the mile, separated by tenths of a second at just over 4:02
- Sophomore Sophia Lucki was 3rd in the women's mile with a 4:45.73 PR on Saturday
- Junior Abbey Carvey and sophomore Sarah Forsyth were 2nd and 3rd in the 800m race with PRs of their own
- Sophomore Timothy Cherry was 2nd in the in the men's 800, PRing for a second consecutive meet Saturday
Meyo Invite – Feb. 2-3, 2024 | South Bend, Ind.
Freshman Breaks School Record Again
Freshman Jessica Stieb originally broke the indoor shot put school record at 16.60m in her first career collegiate try on Dec. 8, 2023 at the GVSU Holiday Open. On her third try of the day Friday, the Loup City, Neb. native reset the record at 16.63m.
PNC Lenny Lyles Invite – Jan. 26-27 | Louisville, Ky.
Return of the Multis
Graduate Student Heath Baldwin cruised to a victory in the first heptathlon competition of the season, racking up 5,899 points and placing in the top four of each sub event, also winning the heptathlon shot put with a Norton Healthcare SLC facility record 15.73m.
Graduate Student Ryan Talbot finished third in the heptathlon with a personal best 5,727 points, racking up wins in the pole vault, 60m dash and an additional PR in the 1,000m run.
A Hop, Sprint, and Big Jumps
Back in the Bluegrass State, the jumps squad posted solid results of their own. For a third straight week, sophomore Natalie Blake upped her personal best mark in the pole vault, this time clearing 4.03m Friday. Sophomore Korin Whitcomb placed second in the high jump at 1.60m.
Freshman sprinter Liz Anderson continued her strong start to 2024, landing on the podium in second in the 400m with a time of 56.97.
Michigan Invite – Jan. 27 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Career Days in Distance
In Ann Arbor, Mich. for the third Saturday in a row, the distance squad showed improvement from the 800m to the 3K, setting several personal bests on both the men's and women's sides.
The men's 3K was a particular bright spot as six men set personal records, including senior Andrew Nolan who finished second overall at 8:02.79, the 34th fastest time in the nation this season.
On the women's side, senior Shae Harbaugh shined again, winning the 800m with ease behind a personal best 2:07.94. Also landing on the podium was graduate student Lauren Freeland who was second in the mile, just a second off her PB and national No. 14 time at 4:38.31.
Simmons-Harvey Invite – Jan. 20, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
One meet, 14 PRs
At the first scored meet of the season last time out at the Simmons-Harvey Invite on Jan. 20, 14 Spartans from sprints and distance to jumps and throws recorded personal best times while the men finished third with 127.5 points as the women placed fourth with 59 points.
One win, seven second place finishes
MSU athletes recorded seven second-place finishes while junior Logan Allen was the lone Spartan event-winner at the Simmons-Harvey Invite, topping the 60m hurdles in 8.02.
Spartans were runners-up in each of the jumps events on the day: Gr. Heath Baldwin in the men's long jump, Brady Schultz in the men's high jump and Natalie Blake cleared 4.00m in the pole vault for the first time, missing out on first only to a technicality.
The distance squad made it's first impression of the season on both the men's and women's side with their own second place finishes in the mile. Junior Kate-Stewart Barnett finished only a second behind the mile race winner while senior Andrew Nolan also claimed a silver behind a 4:03.26 PR.
Senior Owen Huard was second in the 3,000m race, his 8:04.61 time a personal best and 24th fastest in the nation this season. Sophomore Tim Cherry also blitzed to second in the 800m.
Wolverine Invite – Jan. 13, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Top of the morning
At the Wolverine Invite in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, Spartans placed first in both the first track and field events of the day.
To get things started, junior Elle Adrian was crowned weight throw winner with a 20.22m toss. In the 60m hurdles graduate senior Heath Baldwin saved his best sprint for the finals, besting the competition at 7.96, a PR.
Dashing through the snow
A winter storm with several inches of snow prior to the Wolverine Invite forced multiple teams to withdraw from competing at the meet. For MSU however, the sprinters traveled especially well, placing on the podium and racking up personal best times on numerous occasions.
In addition to Baldwin, also victorious during the morning events was sophomore Lexy Wilson, who finished the 400m sprint in 56.48. On the men's side, sophomore Alex Yon finished second with a 49.55 400 time. Sophomore Ian Thompson also had a career-day, placing second in the 60m dash with a PR of 6.78.
Competing for pole (vault) position
Spartans shined and landed finalists in both the men's and women's pole vault events. In fact, the last two women standing were Michigan State sophomores Natalie Blake and Sophia Mettes. Both cleared 3.95m but failed the next height, ceding Blake the winner as she completed previous feat in less attempts.
On the men's side, Adam Blue matched his PR of 4.90m despite using a shortened approach. The Potterville, Mich. native earned second in the event, only behind Olympian Steven Bastien who, competing unattached, only beat Blue as he cleared 4.90m in less attempts than the sophomore.
GVSU Holiday Open – Dec. 8, 2023 | Allendale, Mich.
Freshman sets school record in first career try
In her first career try, Jessica Stieb set an indoor shot put school record with a 16.60m throw. The record previously stood at 16.15m, set by Katelyn Daniels in 2018. The Loup City, Nebraska native wound up finishing second in the event at the GVSU Holiday Open on Dec. 8.
Several Spartans shine in debuts
Also having a standout performance from the throws squad was junior Elle Adrian, who topped the 20-pound weight throw event by nearly a whole meter with a 20.74m mark.
Highlighting the sprint events for the Spartans, sophomore Lexy Wilson broke her 400m PR with a blitzing time of 56.38 to finish second, while freshman Liz Anderson joined her on the podium in her collegiate debut at 57 seconds flat.
Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener – Dec. 2, 2023 | Boston, Mass.
Sage's win highlights season opener
Four Track and Field student-athletes opened the season at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener alongside national competition on Dec. 2 on what is regarded by many as the fastest track in the world, highlighted by an overall 400m win by junior Noah Sage.
Live Results | Track Events Stream | Field Events Stream | Meet Info
The scored meet will be the final opportunity for MSU athletes to post NCAA Championship qualifying national top-16 marks in hopes of representing Michigan State on the national stage on March 8 and 9 in Boston, Mass..
The Spartans roster features three former conference champions, including graduate student Heath Baldwin who is already solidly in the heptathlon national championships field. Fellow graduate student heptathlete Ryan Talbot will look to join Baldwin with a solid performance over the weekend.
On the women's side junior Kate Stewart-Barnett and graduate student Lauren Freeland will aim for sub-4:30 times in the mile for their shot at NCAA's.
Season Headlines Review
Silverston Invite/GVSU Tune-Up – Feb. 16, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich./Allendale, Mich.
Spartans Finish Regular Season with Podium Sweeps
Michigan State concluded the indoor regular season on a high note as 15 Spartans landed on the podium, including four event wins, and several personal records.
At the GVSU Tune-Up, Michigan State women finished sub-5 and claimed each step of the podium in the mile and took the top six spots in the 3000m race. Grad Judith Rector led the way in the 3K with a PR of 9:41.15 while sophomore Sarah Coyne took first in the mile with a PR of her own at 4:55.20.
Claiming first and second in the women's weight throw were juniors Valadian Pallett and Janan Khalil with personal bests at 20.03 and 18.29 meters respectively.
The men's throwers showed up on the day in Allendale, too, claiming second and third in both the weight throw and shot put. Junior Brendan Vander Meer took silver in the shot put while freshman Xavier Griffiths finished right behind him. Griffiths claimed his second medal of the day, finishing second in the weight throw while senior Joshua Devries was third.
Meanwhile in Ann Arbor, the MSU men's distance squad once again found success in its fourth and final trip to U-of-M's indoor track this indoor season.
Sophomore Owen Gilbert took charge in the 800m, claiming first place and PRing at 1:55.21. Junior Gage Killewald was second in the mile, also behind a personal record, finishing at 4:08.51.
Windy City Invite/Valentine Invite/GVSU Big Meet – Feb. 9-10, 2024 | Chicago, Ill./Boston, Mass./Allendale, Mich.
49 Spartans PR, 10 Land on the Podium
The Spartans were split up between the Windy City Invite, the Valentine Invitational and the GVSU 'Big Meet' over the two days, with the vast majority of the varsity athletes competing in Chicago at the prestigious meet that featured several other Big Ten and Power-5 programs.
Among the 49 personal bests set by athletes between the two days, 25/35 (71.4%) of distance runners set career best marks. In Boston, Mass. on Friday at Boston University's 'world's fastest track,' grad Lauren Freeland represented the four Spartan women running there well with a 4:33.92 mile time that is on the fringe of qualifying her for the NCAA Championships in March.
- Grad Heath Baldwin was 1st in the Long Jump Friday with a PR of 7.36m
- Sophomore Brady Schultz was 2nd in the Long Jump Saturday, PRing for a second consecutive meet, now up to 2.09m
- Grad CarLee Stimpfel was 3rd in the premier 5K invite with a blitzing time of 13:55.42, also a personal best
- Senior Aden Smith was 1st in the open 5K on Friday, also PRing
- Senior Andrew Nolan and sophomore Riley Hough were the first two to cross the line in the mile, separated by tenths of a second at just over 4:02
- Sophomore Sophia Lucki was 3rd in the women's mile with a 4:45.73 PR on Saturday
- Junior Abbey Carvey and sophomore Sarah Forsyth were 2nd and 3rd in the 800m race with PRs of their own
- Sophomore Timothy Cherry was 2nd in the in the men's 800, PRing for a second consecutive meet Saturday
Meyo Invite – Feb. 2-3, 2024 | South Bend, Ind.
Freshman Breaks School Record Again
Freshman Jessica Stieb originally broke the indoor shot put school record at 16.60m in her first career collegiate try on Dec. 8, 2023 at the GVSU Holiday Open. On her third try of the day Friday, the Loup City, Neb. native reset the record at 16.63m.
PNC Lenny Lyles Invite – Jan. 26-27 | Louisville, Ky.
Return of the Multis
Graduate Student Heath Baldwin cruised to a victory in the first heptathlon competition of the season, racking up 5,899 points and placing in the top four of each sub event, also winning the heptathlon shot put with a Norton Healthcare SLC facility record 15.73m.
Graduate Student Ryan Talbot finished third in the heptathlon with a personal best 5,727 points, racking up wins in the pole vault, 60m dash and an additional PR in the 1,000m run.
A Hop, Sprint, and Big Jumps
Back in the Bluegrass State, the jumps squad posted solid results of their own. For a third straight week, sophomore Natalie Blake upped her personal best mark in the pole vault, this time clearing 4.03m Friday. Sophomore Korin Whitcomb placed second in the high jump at 1.60m.
Freshman sprinter Liz Anderson continued her strong start to 2024, landing on the podium in second in the 400m with a time of 56.97.
Michigan Invite – Jan. 27 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Career Days in Distance
In Ann Arbor, Mich. for the third Saturday in a row, the distance squad showed improvement from the 800m to the 3K, setting several personal bests on both the men's and women's sides.
The men's 3K was a particular bright spot as six men set personal records, including senior Andrew Nolan who finished second overall at 8:02.79, the 34th fastest time in the nation this season.
On the women's side, senior Shae Harbaugh shined again, winning the 800m with ease behind a personal best 2:07.94. Also landing on the podium was graduate student Lauren Freeland who was second in the mile, just a second off her PB and national No. 14 time at 4:38.31.
Simmons-Harvey Invite – Jan. 20, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
One meet, 14 PRs
At the first scored meet of the season last time out at the Simmons-Harvey Invite on Jan. 20, 14 Spartans from sprints and distance to jumps and throws recorded personal best times while the men finished third with 127.5 points as the women placed fourth with 59 points.
One win, seven second place finishes
MSU athletes recorded seven second-place finishes while junior Logan Allen was the lone Spartan event-winner at the Simmons-Harvey Invite, topping the 60m hurdles in 8.02.
Spartans were runners-up in each of the jumps events on the day: Gr. Heath Baldwin in the men's long jump, Brady Schultz in the men's high jump and Natalie Blake cleared 4.00m in the pole vault for the first time, missing out on first only to a technicality.
The distance squad made it's first impression of the season on both the men's and women's side with their own second place finishes in the mile. Junior Kate-Stewart Barnett finished only a second behind the mile race winner while senior Andrew Nolan also claimed a silver behind a 4:03.26 PR.
Senior Owen Huard was second in the 3,000m race, his 8:04.61 time a personal best and 24th fastest in the nation this season. Sophomore Tim Cherry also blitzed to second in the 800m.
Wolverine Invite – Jan. 13, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Top of the morning
At the Wolverine Invite in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, Spartans placed first in both the first track and field events of the day.
To get things started, junior Elle Adrian was crowned weight throw winner with a 20.22m toss. In the 60m hurdles graduate senior Heath Baldwin saved his best sprint for the finals, besting the competition at 7.96, a PR.
Dashing through the snow
A winter storm with several inches of snow prior to the Wolverine Invite forced multiple teams to withdraw from competing at the meet. For MSU however, the sprinters traveled especially well, placing on the podium and racking up personal best times on numerous occasions.
In addition to Baldwin, also victorious during the morning events was sophomore Lexy Wilson, who finished the 400m sprint in 56.48. On the men's side, sophomore Alex Yon finished second with a 49.55 400 time. Sophomore Ian Thompson also had a career-day, placing second in the 60m dash with a PR of 6.78.
Competing for pole (vault) position
Spartans shined and landed finalists in both the men's and women's pole vault events. In fact, the last two women standing were Michigan State sophomores Natalie Blake and Sophia Mettes. Both cleared 3.95m but failed the next height, ceding Blake the winner as she completed previous feat in less attempts.
On the men's side, Adam Blue matched his PR of 4.90m despite using a shortened approach. The Potterville, Mich. native earned second in the event, only behind Olympian Steven Bastien who, competing unattached, only beat Blue as he cleared 4.90m in less attempts than the sophomore.
GVSU Holiday Open – Dec. 8, 2023 | Allendale, Mich.
Freshman sets school record in first career try
In her first career try, Jessica Stieb set an indoor shot put school record with a 16.60m throw. The record previously stood at 16.15m, set by Katelyn Daniels in 2018. The Loup City, Nebraska native wound up finishing second in the event at the GVSU Holiday Open on Dec. 8.
Several Spartans shine in debuts
Also having a standout performance from the throws squad was junior Elle Adrian, who topped the 20-pound weight throw event by nearly a whole meter with a 20.74m mark.
Highlighting the sprint events for the Spartans, sophomore Lexy Wilson broke her 400m PR with a blitzing time of 56.38 to finish second, while freshman Liz Anderson joined her on the podium in her collegiate debut at 57 seconds flat.
Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener – Dec. 2, 2023 | Boston, Mass.
Sage's win highlights season opener
Four Track and Field student-athletes opened the season at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener alongside national competition on Dec. 2 on what is regarded by many as the fastest track in the world, highlighted by an overall 400m win by junior Noah Sage.
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Throws
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Distance
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Distance
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Distance
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Distance
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Sprints
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Jumps
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Distance
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Distance
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Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
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Multi-Event
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Sprints
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Wednesday, April 02
Track & Field | Big Ten Outdoor Championship recap
Monday, May 13
Track & Field | Big Ten Outdoor Championships highlights
Saturday, May 11
Track & Field | Big Ten Outdoor Championships | Day 2
Saturday, May 11