Track and Field teams claim seven first-place finishes during opening meet of outdoor season
Junior thrower Cole Walderzak readies a throw Feb. 27 at the Jack Skoog Indoor Track for the MAC Indoor Track Championships
Mark Guthrie, the director of Central Michigan University track and field, told his men’s and women’s teams this weekend it does not matter what conference you are from. The only thing that matters is performance on gameday.
Ten Chippewas proved they were better than the competition Friday and Saturday at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational at the University of Louisville.
CMU took home seven first-place finishes during the meet, the first of the outdoor season, after battling cold temperatures throughout the weekend.
“For our first meet and in 48 degree weather, I thought we performed very well,” Guthrie said. “With who we brought, I thought we had more good than bad. We established a starting point. We know where we’re at right now and we know where we have to go.”
The Chippewas were led by Mid-American Conference indoor champion high jumper Matt Mueller. The junior bounded his way to a 1.99 mark to take the top spot.
“He had a good jump early,” Guthrie said. “Right now he has a lot of confidence and a lot of enthusiasm. He’s doing the work he needs to do to get better. At some point that light bulb goes off for everybody.”
CMU also notched a first-place finish in the men’s 100-meter dash from junior Tahshon Reese. The Arkansas State University transfer had a time of 10.78, while teammate and freshman Lorenzo Wells finished one-hundredth of a second behind at 10.79.
“If you can get those top three spots in those meets you feel pretty good,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie also praised junior Brandon McCleese, who won the javelin throw with a toss of 58.43 meters and his 4x400-meter team, which consisted of freshman Erick Huertas, sophomores Malik Vasquez and Ziewmowit Dutkiewicz, and redshirt senior Clay Holman.
CMU freshman sprinter Tina Davis took the top spot in the 100-meter dash, after stumbling out of the MAC Indoor Championships, during which she ran a time of 12.08.
Senior Diamond Hamilton finished in second place at 12.27 to complete the one-two sweep for the Chippewas in the event on the men’s and women’s side.
First-place performances came from seniors Emma Fishnick and Ravyn Baxter. Fishnick won the 400-meter hurdles at 1:01.94, while Baxter had a 24.62 clip in the 200-meter dash.
“Warmer weather probably would have produced better results,” Guthrie said. “To really get the great times you’re looking for better conditions. In the upper Midwest, it is what it is and you have to start somewhere.”
