April 16, 2011
Site: Gainesville, Fla. (James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track)
Event: Tom Jones Memorial Classic
U-M Team Standing: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 23 -- at EMU Twilight (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 10 a.m.; Sat-Sun., April 23-24 -- at Jesse Owens Classic (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m./9 a.m.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Sophomore Jillian Smith (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) recorded the nation's fastest time to date in winning the 1,500-meter run (4:14.65) to lead the University of Michigan women's track and field team at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic on Saturday (April 16) at Florida's James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track.
Smith led a trio of Wolverines in the top four of the 1,500, with sophomore Rebecca Addison (Spring Lake, Mich./Grand Haven) taking third in 4:24.02 and senior Danielle Tauro (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) recording the same time to take fourth. Addison's time was faster when taken out to the thousandth of a second.
Redshirt sophomore Mary Grace Pellegrini (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual) recorded Michigan's other win on the day, grabbing first place in the 3,000-meter run as the only runner under the 10-minute mark (9:52.03).
Also on the track, junior Julian Purvis (Oakland, Calif./St. Elizabeth) placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles, qualifying for the finals with a time of 13.53 before finishing in 13.67 in the finals. To wrap up the day on the track, the 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Amber Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood), senior Jennifer Neville (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child), junior Alexandria Williams (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) and fifth-year senior Alisha Cole (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) recorded a season-best time of 3:43.46 in the 4x400-meter relay.
In the field, senior high jumper Lauren Young (Edina, Minn./Edina) placed third, clearing 1.68 meters (5-6) as Michigan's lone participant in the event. Redshirt junior Allison Liske (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East) reached the finals of two events, placing fifth in the shot put (15.24 meters, 50-0) and sixth in the discus (49.79 meters, 163-04).
The majority of the Wolverines will travel down the road to Eastern Michigan next Saturday (April 23) for the EMU Twilight at 10 a.m. U-M will also send several throwers to the Jesse Owens Classic, slated for Saturday and Sunday (April 24) at Ohio State.
Event Winners/U-M Finishers
Hammer Throw
1. Samantha Musil, Nebraska 58.01m (190-04)
5. Emily Pendleton, unatt. 53.52m (175-07)
9. Joanna Fleming, U-M 47.27m (155-01)
Discus
1. Emily Pendleton, unatt. 55.35m (181-07)
6. Allison Liske, U-M 49.79m (163-04)
10. Kari Prena, U-M 47.65m (156-04)
11. Erin Pendleton, U-M 47.03m (154-03)
13. Joanna Fleming, U-M 45.89m (150-07)
Shot Put
1. Keely Medeiros, Florida 15.92m (52-2 3/4)
2. Emily Pendleton, unatt. 15.70m (51-6 1/4)
5. Allison Liske, U-M 15.24m (50-0)
12. Erin Pendleton, U-M 13.64m (44-9)
High Jump
1. Courtney Anderson, unatt. 1.78m (5-10)
3. Lauren Young, U-M 1.68m (5-6)
Triple Jump
1. Sasha-Kay Matthias, Texas A&M 12.45m (40-10 1/4)
4. Ada Unachukwu, U-M 12.30m (40-4 1/4)
4x100-meter Relay
1. UCF 43.69
4. MICHIGAN 46.93
(Julian Purvis, Charlotte Cahill,
Amber Smith, Alisha Cole)
100-meter Hurdles (preliminaries)
1. Jackie Coward, UCF 12.87q
4. Julian Purvis, U-M 13.53q
12. Amber Smith, U-M 14.36
17. Tofunmi Akeredolu, U-M 14.68
18. Erin Busbee, U-M 14.79
100-meter Hurdles (finals)
1. Jackie Coward, UCF 12.96
5. Julian Purvis, U-M 13.67
3,000-meter Run
1. Mary Grace Pellegrini, U-M 9:52.03
5. Lindsey Hilton, U-M 10:07.00
7. Kaitlyn Peale, U-M 10:18.85
400-meter Dash
1. Tiandra Ponteen, unatt. 53.82
14. Shelby Hines, U-M 59.19
16. Brittani Williams, U-M 1:00.33
100-meter Dash
1. Aurieyall Scott, UCF 11.17
20. Charlotte Cahill, U-M 12.03
24. Ada Unachukwu, U-M 12.48
800-meter Run
1. Erica Parker, Texas A&M 2:08.98
9. Alex Leptich, U-M 2:14.22
10. Megan Weschler, U-M 2:18.88
400-meter Hurdles
1. Jackie Coward, UCF 57.78
6. Alexandria Williams, U-M 1:01.18
7. Jennifer Neville, U-M 1:01.86
13. Amber Smith, U-M 1:04.19
200-meter Dash
1. Dominique Duncan, Texas A&M 23.79
14. Alisha Cole, U-M 24.15
21. Charlotte Cahill, U-M 24.90
27. Erin Busbee, U-M 25.35
28. Shelby Hines, U-M 25.68
29. Tofunmi Akeredolu, U-M 25.87
1,500-meter Run
1. Jillian Smith, U-M 4:14.65
3. Rebecca Addison, U-M 4:24.02
4. Danielle Tauro, U-M 4:24.02
7. Taylor Pogue, U-M 4:36.78
13. Chloe Prince, U-M 4:44.57
4x400-meter Relay
1. TCU 3:34.44
5. MICHIGAN A 3:43.46
(Amber Smith, Jennifer Neville,
Alexandria Williams, Alisha Cole)
9. MICHIGAN B 4:02.64
(Charlotte Cahill, Shelby Hines,
Megan Weschler, Brittani Williams)
N O T E S
• Today's meet marked only the third outdoor competition for Jillian Smith, who missed the 2010 outdoor season due to injury. Her time of 4:14.65 in the 1,500-meter run was a personal best.
• Emily Pendleton competed unattached at the meet, winning the discus while finishing runner-up in the shot put and fifth in the weight throw. It was her first outdoor competition of the year. She is redshirting this season.
• Charlotte Cahill set a new personal record in the 100-meter dash, finishing in 12.05. Her previous best was 12.16 set earlier this season.
• Brittani Williams competed for the first time since the indoor season today, running the 400 and in the 4x400-meter relay.
• Ada Unachukwu competed in the triple jump for the first time during the outdoor season, setting a new personal record of 12.30 meters (40-4 1/4), improving upon her previous best of 12.21 meters.
• The Tom Jones Memorial Classic is named for former Florida track and field coach Tom Jones, who died of cancer in 2007.
Contact: Sarah VanMetre (734) 763-4423
