Eight Firsts For Chippewas At Tune-Up Meet

Friday, February 15

University Center, MI

Central Michigan University

SVSU Tune-Up

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

2/16/2019 12:04:00 AM | MTF, Track & Field

CMU track & field looks ahead to MAC Championships

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. -- The Central Michigan track & field team posted eight first-place finishes on Friday at the Saginaw Valley State Tune-Up Meet, the last before the Chippewas partake in next weekend's Mid-American Conference Championships at Kent State.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Six of the eight first place finishers at Friday's meet were on the women's side: Julianna Brown in the 3,000-meter run, 10:39.97; Emily Helfrich in the high jump, 1.63 meters; Rebekah Petty in the pole vault, 3.92 meters; Tamara Grahovac in the triple jump, 11.37 meters; Rebecca Herman in the shot put, 13.29 meters; and Marissa Dunn in the weight throw, 17.71 meters.

On the men's side for CMU, Joseph Seghi won the pole vault, 4.43 meters; and Logan Targgart was first in the weight throw, 20.3 meters. Targgart also finished second in the shot put.

Other top performers for the women women: Siobh Szerencsits, second, pole vault; Maya Bennett, second, weight throw, and third, shot put; Tyra Daniels third, 200-meter dash; and Aisha Jackson, third, 60-meter hurdles.

For the Chippewa men, John Mitrzyk was second in the long jump, and Jackson Blanchard and Parker Aerts finished second and third, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles.

PUSHING HIGHER
Petty, who holds the CMU women's program record in the pole vault, had attempts to break the mark she set earlier this season. CMU director of track & field Jenny Swieton said she would not be surprised if Petty breaks the record next weekend at Kent State.

"Petty had good attempts at the school record today," Swieton said. "It's going to stick one of these times. She keeps having really good attempts at it. It is definitely going to (fall) before too long."

RETURNING TO FORM
Targgart is coming off surgery and has been dealing with illness throughout the indoor season. Still, he figures to be a scorer for the Chippewas in the throws next week at the MAC Championships and he could contend for a berth in the NCAA Indoor Championships.

"It's good to have Targgart back," Swieton said. "He killed it today. The crazy thing is that throw put him in the conversation for NCAAs because right now the mark is 20.8 meters to make it to NCAAs."

THE BIG ONE
The MAC Championships are what all the coaches and athletes point to, and a program's year-to-year improvement can be measured by how it does against its league brethren.

"The team is moving forward as a whole team," Swieton said. "I'm excited that the team is excited."