Track and field looking to gain momentum at weekend meet
Following a solid performance against in-state rivals Eastern Michigan University and Western Michigan University, the Central Michigan University men’s and women’s track and field teams are hoping to have similar success outside the state this weekend.
Both teams travel to South Bend. Ind., to participate in the Meyo Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Loftus Sports Center.
Friday’s action begins at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m.
The two-day meet will be broadcast on the SEC network and ESPN3.
Mark Guthrie, CMU director of track and field, said he is excited to see his team participate in one of the biggest national meets.
“It was, at one time, the meet in the Midwest,” Guthrie said. “The advantage for us is that we are probably going to see the best competition we have seen this year.”
CMU’s men tied EMU at 74 last Friday, while the women fell to the Eagles, but knocked off WMU in their dual competition.
Guthrie will take only his top athletes to the oval this weekend, he said.
“Every-student athlete that we are taking will be challenged,” Guthrie said. “Part of being good is making the right decisions at the most critical time in the sport, which is your championship season. You have to be battle-tested. Putting them in this environment and seeing what they do is the true test.”
Guthrie said the CMU throwers will not participate in this weekend’s meet.
Schools from the Big Ten, Mid-American Conference, Big East and Southeastern Conference will participate in the invitational.
Notre Dame competed in the Razorback Invitational last weekend in Fayetteville, Ark. The men placed 11th out of 12 teams, while the women tied for seventh place.
Chris Giesting led the Fighting Irish with a third place, 45.98 time in the 400-meters. Giesting’s time was three seconds faster than CMU’s Malik Vasquez’s first-place finish last Friday (49.14).
The Notre Dame women got a third place finish in the 60-meter hurdles from Jade Barber (8.32), while CMU’s best finish in that category last week came from freshman April Micheaux, who finished with a 9.29 mark.
CMU will run on a track more than 300 meters long for this first time this season. Guthrie said that the grandfathered track is the last of its kind.
“It’s less turns so you can run faster,” Guthrie said. “We have to take advantage of this. That has been the message to the team this week. If you’re going, you have to get something done.”
Guthrie said regardless of how the Chippewas perform against national competition, this weekend will serve as a learning experience for his squad.
“Each athlete learns a bit more about themselves,” Guthrie said. “Every competition you are going to learn something, good and bad. You have to replicate the good and eliminate the bad.”
