Central Michigan University
The Big Meet
O'Neil, Hayes Come Up Big At 'Big Meet'
2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | MTF
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
ALLENDALE, Mich. - A school record and a first-place finish highlighted a solid performance by the Central Michigan indoor track and field teams Friday at the Grand Valley State Big Meet at the Lakers' Kelly Family Sports Center.
Central Michigan's Megan O'Neil broke the women's program record in the mile, finishing in 4:49.13. O'Neil, a junior from Stanwood, placed sixth in the event. She eclipsed the mark of 4:50.5 set in 2010 by Raeanne Lohner.
"She's been running pretty well," CMU Director of Track & Field Mark Guthrie said. "At Notre Dame (last week) we thought we were going to have a shot at it. Tonight she looked great. Good turnover, pretty relaxed.
"Whenever you go near your maximum it's going to be painful no matter what. She hung in there, ran through the pain. She had a 6-second drop over last week. That's big."
Benjamin Hayes notched CMU's lone win in the meet, which comprised 59 teams, as he placed first in the men's 400-meter dash in 47.98.
"He struggled a little bit," Guthrie said. "We had a pretty good week of turnover work which takes its toll on you a little bit. It ended up being a win, but the goal was to run pretty hard, almost all out, for the first 350 (meters) and whatever happened after that happened. He attacked that 350 pretty good. He held on and got to the finish line first."
CMU accounted for 20 top-eight finishes, 11 by the women, nine by the men and finished with a gender-combined total of 59.5 points, good for fifth place. The Chippewas finished fifth among the 39 men's teams with 26.5 points. CMU was sixth in the 35-team women's field with 33 points.
Grand Valley won the combined meet with 105 points and the women's meet with 60.5. Ashland (74 points) won the men's meet.
"We really had a pretty decent meet," Guthrie said. "I was happy with what we got done. Coaches are never happy. You have good and you want more. But, yeah, I think we're rounding into shape at the right time. Hopefully this will carry over to the MAC (Championships) in two weeks."
The Central Michigan women got second-place finishes from Mikaela Grant in the open long jump (18 feet, 6 ½ inches), from Ja'La Taylor in the triple jump (39-0 ½), and from Nadia Williams in the long jump invite (18-4 ½).
Williams placed third in the 200-meter dash (24.76 seconds), while teammate Rebekah Petty tied for third in the pole vault (12-0). CMU's Samantha Cuneo, Kyla Walton, Kelsey Ross, Michaela Bundy teamed up for a third-place finish in the 4x400 relay (3:48.86).
The Chippewas got a fourth-place finish from Kelly Schubert in the 5,000 (17:07.83), a seventh from Emily Helfrich in the high jump (5-4 ¼), and an eighth from Hannah Davis in the 3,000. Davis' 9:49.14 clocking was a 20-second PR.
"That was huge," Guthrie said. "I really thought in general our distance athletes had a great meet."
CMU's Kylee Dobbelaere (59-4) and Valerie Johnson (54-6) both placed sixth in the weight throw, Dobbelaere in the invite and Johnson in the open.
The same held for the CMU men in the weight throw, as Dylan Banagis was second in the invite and Logan Targgart was second in the open. Both reached PR's, Banagis at 68-5 ¼, Targgart at 60-10 ¾.
CMU's Ali Taha placed second in the long jump at 22-7 ¼.
Hayes teamed with Scott Cousino, Erick Huertas and Taylor Sebben to finish fourth (3:14.75) in the 4x400 relay, and CMU got sixth-place finishes from Aaron Taylor, open high jump (6-4 ¾); Sam Wagner, pole vault (15-3 ½); and Melvin Harris, high jump invite (6-6 ¾).
Huertas placed seventh in the 400 invite (48.61).
Players Mentioned
