Michigan, other Big 10 teams hit Tempe

This weekend, while most students will be firmly entrenched in their normal weekend routines, the Michigan men's track and field team will fly off to sunny Tempe, Ariz., for the Arizona State Castillo Invitational, which will be held on Saturday.

Following an indoor season marked by inconsistency, the Wolverines will begin their quest to improve upon poor results at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, where the Wolverines finished a disappointing sixth. Michigan is not without momentum, though - the Wolverines bounced back in strong fashion with a top-six finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this month.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily Both Michigan track teams will jet to Arizona this weekend to compete in Arizona State's Castillo Invitational as the outdoor season gets underway.

"We had a small team for the NCAAs, but a lot of the other guys came down to watch," Michigan four-time NCAA champion Kevin Sullivan said. "Hopefully, that will inspire them to have a big outdoor season."

Sullivan, an outdoor All-American in 1997, is the reigning Big Ten champion in the 1,500-meter run. At the NCAA indoors last year he finished second in that same event.

Sullivan is fresh off an NCAA championship in the indoor mile, but he will pace himself into the outdoor season.

"I'm going to take a low-key role this weekend," Sullivan said. "I am only going to run one race, the 800-meter, and just try to work on my speed."

In addition to Sullivan, Michigan will field five other runners who scored at the conference's outdoor tournament in 1997. Junior John Mortimer enters the outdoor season as the reigning MVP of last year's outdoor season. Mortimer, another All-American, won two Big Ten titles last year, in the 3,000 steeplechase and the 10,000 run. He was runner-up in 5,000 run as well.

Don McLaughlin, as well as fellow distance runners Todd Snyder and Steve Lawrence, also expects to make key contributions in the outdoor season. Senior Brian Theisen provides additional support.

The Castillo Invitational marks the start of the outdoor season for Michigan. Along with in-state rival Central Michigan, four other Big Ten teams will also take part in the meet, including Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota. This offers the Wolverines an opportunity to gauge their performance.

"This is a good opening meet for us," Sullivan said. "We are going to be able to see where we stack up against the rest of the conference."

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