Track scattered for the weekend

All puns aside, the men's track and field team was difficult to keep track of this weekend. With some members of the team heading off to California for the second time in three weeks and the rest of the Wolverines participating in the Michigan State Invitational in East Lansing, head coach Jack Harvey would have to be excused if he didn't know exactly where all his athletes were.

Luckily for the Wolverines, every athlete managed to find his way to his event, and several Wolverines were victorious in East Lansing. The Michigan State Invitational featured runners from throughout the region, including participants from Toledo, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Michigan State, and community colleges in the area.

Charles DeWildt took first place in the pole vault for the Wolverines with a vault of 16-2.75. Taiwa Okusaya was Michigan's other winner in the field events, taking first in the triple jump with a score of 44 feet 6.25 inches.

Michigan also fared well in the sprint events, an area in which it has not excelled so far this season. Josh Sellers won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 54.15 seconds while the 4x400 relay team placed first with a time of 3:14.24.

Although the Spartans hosted the meet, it was Michigan that stole the show with the four individual champions. No other school at the event won more than two events. Michigan State finished no better than fourth in any event. Two runners for Central Michigan won their respective events.

While the Wolverines performed well in East Lansing, they were without the services of several key members of the squad.

All-American Kevin Sullivan and assistant coach Ron Warhurst led the distance runners to the Mount SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. The group consisted of Sullivan, fellow All-American John Mortimer, Brian Theisen, Jay Cantin, Don McLaughlin and Todd Snyder.

The event was hosted by Mt. San Antonio College and featured some of the best collegiate and amateur runners in the country. Several former Olympians competed in the event. For the Wolverines, the Relays were an opportunity to prepare for the NCAA Championships to be held June 4-6.

But unlike the Relays, Michigan will be in one piece for NCAAs.

04-20-98