Central Michigan University
The Cardinal Invitational
Ten Firsts for CMU Track & Field
1/31/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - Central Michigan student-athletes finished first in 10 events in the two-day Jets Pizza Indoor Track and Field meet, hosted by Saginaw Valley State.
It was CMU's second event of the indoor season. The Chippewas go next weekend to the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.
"I thought overall we had a very strong team meet," CMU Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Mark Guthrie said. "It was a big step up from the week before, so we're moving in a good direction. We're getting some good performances. Couldn't be happier at this point."
The Chippewa men got victories from Shane Moffo (60-meter hurdles), Benjamin Hayes (400-meter dash), Malik Peacock (60-meter dash), Dylan Banagis (weight throw) and Cole Walderzak (shot put).
For the CMU women, Samantha Cuneo was first in the 400-meter dash, Tina Davis won the 60-meter dash, Kylee Dobbelaere won the weight throw, April Micheaux won the pentathlon, and the Chippewas won the 1,600 relay.
Lexi Mielke, Gabriella Beauvais, Kyla Walton and Kelsey Ross comprised the CMU women's relay squad, which finished in 3 minutes, 49.75 seconds. Archie Sullivan, Quincy Briggs, Scott Cousino and Ben Yagiela teamed up in the men's 1,600 relay for CMU, placing second in 3:19.39.
"We tried a little bit different combination and we were able to do a little bit better," Guthrie said. "With the relay, you kind of keep playing with it until you get to the end and then you put the best four on it."
Moffo's winning time in the 60 hurdles was 8.21 seconds, Hayes came in at 47.37 in the 400, Peacock finished the 60 in 6.91, Banagis captured the weight throw at 67 feet, 9 ¾ inches, and Walderzak won the shot put at 55-9.
Cuneo won the women's 400 in 55.90, Davis' winning time in the 60 was 7.54, Dobbelaere's winning toss in the weight throw was 57-7 ½, and Micheaux posted a 3,259 in capturing the pentathlon.
"(Micheaux) redshirted outdoors for us last year and so to get back in the saddle, so to speak, is a nice win for her," Guthrie said. "To get her feet back and get re-acclimated with the event, it's a big deal."
Micheaux, a sophomore, placed first in the shot put and in the high jump, was second in the 60-meter dash, third in the long jump and seventh in the 800-meter run.
"You have to have a pretty short memory in the pentathlon because if something doesn't go well, you have to forget it and move on to the next round and you can't dwell on it," Guthrie said. "So it's a nice step for her."
The Chippewa men got second-place finishes from Tony Armstrong (pole vault), Kevin Weiler (shot put), Jake Piester (triple jump), Walderzak (weight throw) and Diavonte Smith (long jump). CMU women who posted second-place finishes were Alyssa Dyer (mile), Samantha Dismuke (400), Davis (200), Beauvais (long jump) and Devene Brown (shot put).
CMU got thirds on the women's side from Katie Kasper (mile), Mielke (400), Kelsey Ross (800), Cuneo (200), Kirsten Olling (3,000), and McKenzie Wieber (pole vault); and on the men's side from Aaron Taylor (60 hurdles), Erick Huertas (400), Jamar Hardy (60) and Matt Mueller (high jump).
"We had a lot of people place in the top three and win several events," Guthrie said. "If you want to be good as a team, you have to be strong in all areas, which is what we're looking for, so that was a success. Now, we need to be able to continue do that week in and week out and keep building on it.
"This event did give us some confidence going into next week for the Notre Dame meet. Notre Dame is a pretty strong meet in every event group. So everybody that we take will be challenged at a high level and I think what we accomplished this week will help us deal with that."
Players Mentioned
