The athletes of the Michigan men's track team seem to have a way of looking out for each other. When one Wolverine has an off-week, another steps in to pick up the slack.
Michigan went to Philadelphia to compete in the Penn Relays on April 24, and traveled to Ohio State for the Jesse Owens Classic a week later. And in each case, a different Wolverine took control.
The Penn meet was Neil Gardner's time to shine. Gardner placed first in the 400-meter hurdles with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 49.67 seconds.
Gardner, a two-time national champion in the hurdles, said he appreciates a victory, no matter the venue.
"It's the first time I won at Penn in my college career, so I was pretty excited," Gardner said. "I'm always happy about winning. Some have more glamour attached to them, but I don't cheapen any victory by saying it's only Penn Relays."
At the Jesse Owens meet, Gardner was a little off his rhythm, placing fourth in the 400 hurdles. However, Michigan's Kevin Sullivan and John Mortimer were ready to pick up the pace.
Sullivan, who has been recovering from foot surgery, won the 1,500 with an NCAA provisionally qualifying time of 3:44.51.
Mortimer also qualified provisionally, placing first in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 8:44.78, a personal best.
Gardner emphasized that winning requires an all-around team effort.
"Everyone's coming around slowly," Gardner said. "My relay has been running fast, the cross-country guys are strong, a couple of freshmen are running awesome - a lot of the guys have been really stepping up the program."