Saturday, May 11
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan State University
at
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Talbot's Title Boosts Spartans into Third on Day Two of Big Ten Championships
5/11/2024 9:49:00 PM | Track and Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Spartan Track and Field tallied more points at day two of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Saturday, with top performances such as Ryan Talbot's decathlon title boosting the men into third in the team standings.
With 24 points, the second most in conference on the day, the Spartan men sit in third with now 34 total points after finishing 11th overall at the conference indoor championships in February. The MSU women are currently in 11th with eight points.
Talbot becomes the first conference Champion season for the Spartans, winning the decathlon title for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2022.
The graduate student from Novi, Mich. claimed first in the two-day competition behind a season-best score of 7,535. Talbot's score comprised of wins by two feet and two seconds in the shot put and 400m dash respectively on day one as well as a second-place finish by .001 seconds in the 100m dash. On day two, he padded his lead with top-three finishes in the javelin and 110m hurdles, also winning the discus on a crucial 42.38-meter final throw.
In the men's 3000m steeplechase that concluded the day, senior Andrew Nolan navigated obstacles and a final sprint to claim second in the event with an 8:45.33 personal record. Senior Tyler Pritchett finished sixth, adding on even more points for Michigan State. In the women's edition of the race, junior Sophia Lucki also scored on the podium with a sixth-place finish behind a 10:31.17 PR.
Also locking in points in the late afternoon was the 2023 MSU Athletics George Alderton Male Athlete of the Year, graduate student Heath Baldwin. Right after securing a spot in the 110 hurdles finals and points for MSU tomorrow, the Kalamazoo, Mich. native placed sixth in the long jump finals, tying a PR leap of 7.59m.
So marks three total events that the decathlon Olympic hopeful will have fastened points for Michigan State in, also placing fourth in the javelin on day one Friday. Baldwin, forgoing the decathlon in preparation for the NCAA Championships and the U.S. Summer Olympic trials, hones in on five total events on the weekend, as he will also compete in the high jump and the 4x100m relay tomorrow.
Walk-on senior Shae Harbaugh also punched her ticket for a spot in the finals and points tomorrow, placing eighth in the 800m trails with a 2:07.58 PR. While not scoring points, graduate student Taryn Hankins topped her high jump heat with a MSU season-best mark of 5.87m in what was likely her final meet of her collegiate career.
The Spartans will return for the third and final day of competition at the conference championships on Sunday morning, with event finals spanning from 11 a.m. to at least 4 p.m.. All the action will be broadcast live on B1G+.
Director of Cross Country & Track and Field Lisa Breznau
It's been great seeing them build as a program and the leadership evolve. There's a lot of things to be excited about for the final day. I'm really just hoping they can build on the momentum of today and be great competitors and teammates through the finish tomorrow.
On Ryan Talbot's title…
Today and yesterday Ryan was incredible to have the confidence to go out and just have fun with the event and be in a position to stay steady once it looked like, hey, this title is open. He stayed calm and consistent just to be able to do what he needed to do to be a Big Ten Champion again and hopefully secure a spot in NCAAs.
On the men's team's improvement…
"I could go right down the list with out men's team right now and their great mentalities. Not everything goes perfect but I think we're always ready for the rebounds, especially from those that compete tomorrow."
On Heath Baldwin and his impact on the team…
"I can't not say enough about Heath. He's really gotten behind the team and creates a vision for them of being competitive. Obviously he's talented but I think a lot of what he's doing just comes from his will to be at his best no matter the event. He's engaging with everyone, he's respectful, and I think when you have someone like that, it's easy for the team to have someone to rally around that identity and want to be a part of it."
With 24 points, the second most in conference on the day, the Spartan men sit in third with now 34 total points after finishing 11th overall at the conference indoor championships in February. The MSU women are currently in 11th with eight points.
Talbot becomes the first conference Champion season for the Spartans, winning the decathlon title for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2022.
The graduate student from Novi, Mich. claimed first in the two-day competition behind a season-best score of 7,535. Talbot's score comprised of wins by two feet and two seconds in the shot put and 400m dash respectively on day one as well as a second-place finish by .001 seconds in the 100m dash. On day two, he padded his lead with top-three finishes in the javelin and 110m hurdles, also winning the discus on a crucial 42.38-meter final throw.
In the men's 3000m steeplechase that concluded the day, senior Andrew Nolan navigated obstacles and a final sprint to claim second in the event with an 8:45.33 personal record. Senior Tyler Pritchett finished sixth, adding on even more points for Michigan State. In the women's edition of the race, junior Sophia Lucki also scored on the podium with a sixth-place finish behind a 10:31.17 PR.
Also locking in points in the late afternoon was the 2023 MSU Athletics George Alderton Male Athlete of the Year, graduate student Heath Baldwin. Right after securing a spot in the 110 hurdles finals and points for MSU tomorrow, the Kalamazoo, Mich. native placed sixth in the long jump finals, tying a PR leap of 7.59m.
So marks three total events that the decathlon Olympic hopeful will have fastened points for Michigan State in, also placing fourth in the javelin on day one Friday. Baldwin, forgoing the decathlon in preparation for the NCAA Championships and the U.S. Summer Olympic trials, hones in on five total events on the weekend, as he will also compete in the high jump and the 4x100m relay tomorrow.
Walk-on senior Shae Harbaugh also punched her ticket for a spot in the finals and points tomorrow, placing eighth in the 800m trails with a 2:07.58 PR. While not scoring points, graduate student Taryn Hankins topped her high jump heat with a MSU season-best mark of 5.87m in what was likely her final meet of her collegiate career.
The Spartans will return for the third and final day of competition at the conference championships on Sunday morning, with event finals spanning from 11 a.m. to at least 4 p.m.. All the action will be broadcast live on B1G+.
Director of Cross Country & Track and Field Lisa Breznau
It's been great seeing them build as a program and the leadership evolve. There's a lot of things to be excited about for the final day. I'm really just hoping they can build on the momentum of today and be great competitors and teammates through the finish tomorrow.
On Ryan Talbot's title…
Today and yesterday Ryan was incredible to have the confidence to go out and just have fun with the event and be in a position to stay steady once it looked like, hey, this title is open. He stayed calm and consistent just to be able to do what he needed to do to be a Big Ten Champion again and hopefully secure a spot in NCAAs.
On the men's team's improvement…
"I could go right down the list with out men's team right now and their great mentalities. Not everything goes perfect but I think we're always ready for the rebounds, especially from those that compete tomorrow."
On Heath Baldwin and his impact on the team…
"I can't not say enough about Heath. He's really gotten behind the team and creates a vision for them of being competitive. Obviously he's talented but I think a lot of what he's doing just comes from his will to be at his best no matter the event. He's engaging with everyone, he's respectful, and I think when you have someone like that, it's easy for the team to have someone to rally around that identity and want to be a part of it."
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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