Three Firsts For CMU In Outdoors Opener

Saturday, March 23

Nashville, Tenn.

Central Michigan University

Vanderbilt Commodore Classic

3/23/2019 8:32:00 PM | MTF, Track & Field

CMU heads to Raleigh Relays next weekend

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Janelle Perry, Megan McElroy and Avery Joseph each placed first in their respective events to lead the Central Michigan track & field team in its outdoors-season opener, the Black and Gold Invitational, hosted by Vanderbilt.

"The meet had amazing weather," CMU director of track & field Jenny Swieton said. "It was warm, sunny, and beautiful and everybody got sunburned, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

"It was good to start outdoor season.I think some people competed really well. There are things that people have to get used to, like hammer throwers haven't thrown out of a ring, but I think that (the hammer throwers) performed well."

WOMEN'S RESULTS
McElroy had a personal-best throw of 44.97 meters to place first in the women's javelin. Teammate Jayden Williams placed seventh (39.34).

"It's awesome that the javelin performers (threw so well) because they had to wait so long to compete since they don't compete during the indoors track season," Swieton said. "I think that they were so ready to compete and showed everybody that they were ready to go."

Perry won the women's long jump with a leap of 6.04 meters. She was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.14 seconds.

"Perry was all over the place because she did the 4x100-meter relay, the hurdles, and the long jump, which all (compete) at around the same time," Swieton said. "She's becoming a very good multitasker."

Perry, Nadia Williams, Gabriella Beauvais and Samantha Cuneo combined to place fourth in the 4x100 with a time of 46.30.

CMU's Callie Stemple placed fourth in the women's high jump (5 feet, 5 1/4 inches).

Also for the CMU women, Erin Howard was fourth in the discus (47.83 meters) and fifth in the shot put (47-1 ¾); Siobhan Szerencsits (3.7 meters) and Kasey Staley (3.4 meters) placed sixth and eighth, respectively, in the pole vault; Ana Garcia Arias was eighth and Carissa Gobbi was ninth in the 2,000-meter steeplechase; Garcia Arias' time was 7:14.87, and Gobbi finished in 7:15.06; Marissa Dunn placed seventh in the hammer throw (54.34 meters); and Simonae Dismuke placed eighth in the 400 (56.85).

MEN'S RESULTS
Joseph won the javelin with a throw of 57.96 meters, while Joseph Ahmed was fourth (52.78).

Logan Targgart placed second in the hammer throw with a toss of 203-6 ½, and Jackson Blanchard was second in the 400 hurdles (52.33), running the event for the first time in his career. He also placed seventh in the 110 hurdles (14.83).

Connor Covert placed fourth in the discus (158-11), and was eighth in the shot put (49-8 ½).

The Chippewas' Shane Moffo finished fourth in the 110 hurdles (14.79), while AJ Frens came in fourth in the pole vault (15-7).

Also for the CMu men, Jeron Kelley, Jack Dodge, Parker Aerts and John Mitrzyk teamed up to placed fifth (41.67) in the 4x100 relay; Erick Huertas, Dante Lander, Roshawn Morton and Gavin Jamie teamed up to place sixth (3:19) in the 4x400 relay; Dodge tied for seventh in the 100 (10.86); and Mitrzyk finished eighth in the long jump (22-3).

NEXT
The Chippewas will head to Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the Raleigh Relays, hosted by North Carolina State, on March 29-30.