Jan. 23, 2010

Complete Results |  Photo Gallery 

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Indoor Track Building)
Event: Simmons-Harvey Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Team Finish: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., Jan. 29-30 -- at Rod McCravy Memorial (Lexington, Ky.), 5 p.m./10 a.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team won five of nine events on the second day of competition at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 23), held inside the U-M Indoor Track Building.

Junior Danielle Tauro (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) led off the day with a win in the Francie Kraker Goodridge mile, finishing in 4:50.09. Tauro out-distanced herself from the field midway into the race, eventually beating runner-up junior Kaitlyn Peale (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) by nearly 10 seconds (4:59.40).

Senior Jennifer Neville (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) led for a majority of the 400-meter dash before being overtaken by Central Michigan's Cara Dukes down the final straightaway. Dukes was disqualified, however, giving Neville the win in 56.90.

The Wolverines then went 1-2 in the 600-meter run, led by freshman Rebecca Addison (Spring Lake, Mich./Grand Haven), who finished in 1:33.59, while sophomore Alexandria Williams (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) came away with second-place honors after finishing the three-lap race in 1:34.95.

Senior captain Shana Vinson (Detroit, Mich./Mumford) won the 200-meter dash as the only U-M runner to compete, finishing in a personal-best time of 24.84.

U-M's final win came in the 3,000-meter run, where the Wolverines once again swept the top two spots. Freshman Kaitlyn Patterson (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) lapped three runners en route a first-place time of 10:01.48, with redshirt freshman Mary Grace Pellegrini (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual) finishing second (10:10.77).

The Wolverines will hit the road for another two-day invitational next weekend (Fri-Sat., Jan. 29-30) as they head to Lexington, Ky., for the Rod McCravy Memorial. Friday's action will begin at 5 p.m. with Saturday's events slated for a 10 a.m. start.

Event Winners/U-M Finishers

Mile Run
 1. Danielle Tauro, U-M            4:50.95
 2. Kaitlyn Peale, U-M             4:59.40
 6. Rachel Severin, U-M            5:07.05
 7. Rachel White, U-M              5:09.64
 9. Amanda McKenzie, U-M           5:14.72

60-meter Hurdles
 1. Tiffany Ofili, adidas             8.12
 2. Charnee Lumbus, Unatt.            8.54
12. Sara Nitz, U-M                   10.55

400-meter Dash
 1. Jennifer Neville, U-M            56.90

60-meter Dash	
 1. Tiffany Ofili, adidas             7.59
 3. Shana Vinson, U-M                 7.70
 4. Alisha Cole, U-M                  7.71
 5. Teleicia Rose, U-M                7.75
 9. Charlotte Cahill, U-M             7.89
11. Ada Unachukwu, U-M                7.93
13. Charnee Lumbus, Unatt.            8.08

600-meter Run
 1. Rebecca Addison, U-M           1:33.59
 2. Alexandria Williams, U-M       1:34.95
 4. Brittani Williams, U-M         1:35.49
 5. Meg Bellino, U-M               1:36.80

800-meter Run
 1. Danielle Dakroub, CMU          2:15.16
 3. Lindsey Gakenheimer, U-M       2:17.77
 6. Melany Mioduszewski, U-M       2:20.77
 8. Morgan Bailey, U-M             2:21.73
 9. Chloe Prince, U-M              2:22.08
13. Nicole Prince, U-M             2:24.76
15. Emily Welker, U-M              2:25.59

200-meter dash
 1. Shana Vinson, U-M                24.84

3,000-meter Run
 1. Kaitlyn Patterson, U-M        10:01.48
 2. Mary Grace Pellegrini, U-M    10:10.77
 7. Courtney Clancy, U-M          10:52.72

4x400-meter Relay
 1. Eastern Michigan               3:51.60
 2. MICHIGAN                       3:52.01
  (Charlotte Cahill, Jennifer Neville,
   Ada Unachukwu, Brittani Williams)
 4. MICHIGAN                       3:59.72
  (Teleicia Rose, Rebecca Addison,
   Meg Bellino, Jillian Smith)
 6. MICHIGAN                       4:14.99
  (Morgan Bailey, Lindsey Gakenheimer,
   Jami Hill, Amanda McKenzie)
 7. MICHIGAN                       4:27.59
  (Melany Mioduszewski, Kaitlyn Patterson,
   Kaitlyn Peale, Chloe Prince)
   

• Day One Results

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach James Henry
On the meet being two days ... "It was the concept of Mike McGuire to do it this way, to separate the field and the track events. It is something new that lets the fans up close, to give them a new experience. For the athletes, they get the music that we played the whole time, which is what they love. It is just something different that worked out really well for us and was a lot of fun."

On the performance of the field athletes ... "In the field events, the throwers really performed well. The whole group has really been working hard, like they always have, but now it is really starting to show. Liske has anchored that group the past few weeks, especially last night. I was most pleased with Sara Olds in the pole vault. She had a great performance and that is what I love about coaching. She had been struggling for awhile, been spinning in place. But for her to go out there last night and perform like she did, it was great to see."

On the concept of a "bee" team ... "We lost all of our queen bees, as I liked to call them. If we want to perform well, we have to do it as a swarm. We have to stay together and work together. Everyone needs to contribute if we don't want to end up in the lower half of the conference."

On having Red Simmons at the meet ... "Just having Red on this earth is great. It is amazing that someone a century old can have his faculties, can drive and his humor. It is great to be able to thank him and recognize him while he is still here. He is the reason that I am coaching and am here today. It is great to be able to enjoy his company and wish him a happy birthday."

N O T E S

• The invitational is named for former U-M coaches Red Simmons (women) and Jack Harvey (men). The women have hosted the event since 1981.

• All of the track events were held today. Field events were held yesterday (Friday, Jan. 22).

• After the 60-meter hurdles, there was a special acknowledgment of Red Simmons and Jack Harvey, who were both in attendance at the meet.

• After the 60-meter dash finals, Red Simmons was serenaded to "Happy Birthday". Red celebrated his 100th birthday (Jan. 5).

• Shana Vinson ran in the 60-meter dash for the first time in her career.

• Lindsey Gakenheimer, Melany Mioduszewski, Nicole Prince and Emily Welker all improved their personal-best time in the 800-meter run.

• Alexandria William's time in the 600-meter run was a personal best, improving upon her previous fastest time of 1:35.07 at last year's Simmons-Harvey Invitational

• Former U-M great and five-time national champion Tiffany Ofili won both the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash while competing for adidas.

• Former national champion Katie McGregor provided commentary to the crowd during the women's 3,000-meter run.

Contact: Sarah VanMetre (734) 763-4423