Friday, April 5
East Lansing, Mich.
Michigan State University
vs
Spartan Invite
Spartans Collect 15 Event Wins on Home Grounds at Spartan Invite
4/5/2024 10:23:00 PM | Track and Field
Graduating seniors contributed to several top performances in their final home meet.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – MSU Track and Field found all-around success on Friday at it's lone home meet of the season, the Spartan Invite presented by Auto-Owners Insurance.
"Today was a fantastic team effort by all involved," director of cross country and track & field Lisa Breznau said. "I love having the opportunity to compete in front of our supporters and also to recognize our seniors. I'm excited in the progress made throughout and continuing that throughout the rest of the semester."
In this the third meet of the season, several Spartans, including graduating seniors, put forth solid and winning performances in front of a home crowd at Ralph Young Field, Jenison Fieldhouse and Munn Field. Many of those seniors, in their final home meets of their careers, contributed to MSU's 15 wins on the day.
Spartans won nine of ten consecutive events to end the day on the track at Ralph Young Field, including three straight sweeps of the podium.
Meet Highlights
The 21 senior student-athletes recognized were: Abbey Lee, Julia Bajt, Grace Molloy, Kaia Scheffler, Joshua Smith, Aden Smith, Antonio Postell II, Scout Regular, Jeremy Kloss, Amani Nuels, Avery Budz, Kendel Hammock, Taryn Hankins, Alison Ziehl, Lauren Freeland, Katie Osika, Ryan Talbot, Heath Baldwin, Lexy Alston, Trey Searles and Owen Huard.
Up next, the Spartans split up on the road to compete at the highly touted Bryan Clay Invite from Thursday, April 11 through Saturday, April 13 in Azusa, Calif. and the James Madison University Invite on April 13 in Harrisonburg, Va..
"Today was a fantastic team effort by all involved," director of cross country and track & field Lisa Breznau said. "I love having the opportunity to compete in front of our supporters and also to recognize our seniors. I'm excited in the progress made throughout and continuing that throughout the rest of the semester."
In this the third meet of the season, several Spartans, including graduating seniors, put forth solid and winning performances in front of a home crowd at Ralph Young Field, Jenison Fieldhouse and Munn Field. Many of those seniors, in their final home meets of their careers, contributed to MSU's 15 wins on the day.
Spartans won nine of ten consecutive events to end the day on the track at Ralph Young Field, including three straight sweeps of the podium.
Meet Highlights
- Senior Madison Price got the morning started with a win in the 5K, finishing with a 17:28.45 PR.
- In the day's first field event, graduate student Taryn Hankins finished second in the long jump
- Shortly after in the Jenison Fieldhouse MSU delivered a one-two punch in the high jump as sophomore Korin Whitcomb won at a PR and DI #59 height of 1.72 meters while senior Avery Budz finished in second in her final home meet.
- Sophomore Alex Yon finished second in the 400m dash at 49.72.
- Hankins podiumed for the second time on her senior time, this time winning 100m dash in 12.19 seconds.
- The MSU women's 1500m crew completed the first sweep of the day, as junior Olivia Millen led the way with a 4:27.93 PR. Graduate Student Judith Rector finished in second and junior Sophia Lucki in third.
- The Spartan men followed suit with a 1500m sweep of their own, however taking 15 of the top 16 spots, led by senior Andrew Nolan in first at 3:48.51 as Owen Huard, Jack Pennewell and Gage Killewald followed in second through fourth.
- The MSU women's 400m-hurdles squad made it three consecutive sweeps on the track at Ralph Young Field as senior Kaia Scheffler won at 1:03.98, followed by freshman Melanie Macias in second and Budz in third, her second podium of the day on senior day.
- In the men's high jump senior Tylor Leedom and sophomore Brady Schultz finished second and third respectively.
- Back at the track, sophomore Anyssa Hall won the 200m dash in a 25.30 split.
- Junior Tee Muex was next with a win of his own in 200m dash, crossing the line in 21.96.
- Senior Shae Harbaugh clinched the victory in the 800m run in 2:12.69.
- Sophomore Opal Jackson won the collegiate discus invite, however finishing second overall, with a 45.11m toss.
- Sophomore Sophia Mettes finished collegiate second, third overall with a new DI #38 4.05m clearance in the pole vault.
- Junior Jalen Nelson finished on top in the triple jump for the first time this season in what was the final event in the Jenison Fieldhouse, setting a personal best and winning mark of 14.43m.
- The women's 4x400m relay team comprised of Harbaugh, Hall, Macias and senior Lexy Alston concluded the days' women's competition with a win in 3:53.16
- A men's 4x400m win from freshman Ben Classen, Yon, sophomore Owen Gilbert and Muex in 3:22.26 rounded up action at the track at Ralph Young Field with five consecutive wins in races that MSU competed in.
- To round out competition in East Lansing for the last time in 2024, sophomore Colby Morlock won the invitational discus (50.78) while junior Brendan Vander Meer won the open discus (47.22) while freshman Dalton Debeau and graduate student Heath Baldwin finished second in the invite and open respectively.
The 21 senior student-athletes recognized were: Abbey Lee, Julia Bajt, Grace Molloy, Kaia Scheffler, Joshua Smith, Aden Smith, Antonio Postell II, Scout Regular, Jeremy Kloss, Amani Nuels, Avery Budz, Kendel Hammock, Taryn Hankins, Alison Ziehl, Lauren Freeland, Katie Osika, Ryan Talbot, Heath Baldwin, Lexy Alston, Trey Searles and Owen Huard.
Up next, the Spartans split up on the road to compete at the highly touted Bryan Clay Invite from Thursday, April 11 through Saturday, April 13 in Azusa, Calif. and the James Madison University Invite on April 13 in Harrisonburg, Va..
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Multi-Event
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Multi-Event
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
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