Blue to host area schools Saturday

Freshman Okenwa out to fast start

The state's track and field bragging rights are on the line as the Michigan Intercollegiate track meet pits Michigan's six Division I track teams against each other this Saturday at the Michigan Indoor Track Building.

Field events are slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. and running events will commence an hour later.

Michigan men's track and field coach Ken Harvey called the upcoming tilt the "best quality meet that (the team) has seen so far," as two of the schools Michigan will face are Michigan State and Eastern Michigan.

Michigan has competed against Eastern twice already this year and Harvey said the Eagles are the favorite to win the meet.

DHANI JONES/Daily Michigan hurdler Derek Applewhite and the rest of the Wolverines will battle for state bragging rights Saturday at the Michigan Intercollegiate.

Eastern's team boasts former Nigerian Olympic team member Clement Chikuwu. Chikuwu, the reigning Mid-American Conference runner of the week, has had quite a season to date.

Not only has he run the fastest 400- meter time in the nation, but he has also turned in the second fastest 200 time in the country.

Chikuwu, however, is not the only star Nigerian sprinter that will be competing on Saturday.

Michigan's Ike Okenwa, a freshman and also a native of Nigeria, will be competing against Chikuwu in the 200 as well as in the 4x400 relay.

Okenwa, who said he is looking forward to running against Chikuwu, has enjoyed success of an unexpected magnitude this year.

He has won his past two individual races, the 200 two weeks ago at the Michigan Quadrangle and the 60 last weekend at the Red Simmons Invitational.

In addition to having to worry about Chikuwu, Okenwa also expects to be pushed hard by teammate Steve Jenkins, who Okenwa said is "amazing out of the starting blocks."

Several other Wolverines are coming off impressive finishes at the Red Simmons Invitational, which Michigan won, and expect big performances on Saturday.

Patrick Johannson (35 lb. weight throw), and Josh Sellers (600) both won their events.

Also notable are the performances of Chris Dewitt, who took second in the pole vault, and freshman Derek Applewhite, Okenwa's roommate, who placed third in the 60-meter hurdles.

These athletes will need similar finishes for the team to challenge Eastern Michigan and fend off Michigan State, which Harvey expects will pose stiff competition.

Okenwa thinks that the Michigan Intercollegiate promises to be an exciting meet.

"Michigan has a lot of talent and we are looking at this as a pretty big meet," he said.

"This is the starting point of the rest of the season. We need to start knocking out some first places."

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