Trips To Tennesse, Oakland On Tap For Track & Field

Friday, April 12

Knoxville, Tenn.

Central Michigan University

Tennessee Relays

Photo by: Robert Barclay

4/11/2019 9:18:00 PM | MTF, Track & Field

Chippewas travel in search of better weather, good competition

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan track & field team is scheduled to split up for two meets at two locations this weekend.

A group comprising sprinters and field-event athletes will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to compete in the Tennessee Relays on Friday and Saturday. The CMU distance runners are slated to travel to Rochester, Mich. to compete in the Golden Grizzles Invitational, hosted by Oakland.

WHERE THEY STAND
The Central Michigan's women team is ranked No. 11 in the Great Lakes Region, the same spot as last week.

Megan McElroy is the highest-ranked athlete for the women's team, ranked third in the Javelin with a throw of 46.65 meters.

CMU's Janelle Perry ranks fourth in the long jump with a jump of 5.97 meters, and fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.70 seconds; Marissa Dunn's program record throw of 60.56 meters in the hammer throw ranks sixth in the region; Megan O'Neil ranks seventh in the 10,000-meter run at 34:22.

The men's team is ranked No. 14 in the Great Lakes Region, the same place as last week.

Logan Targgart is the highest-ranked athlete on the men's side, second in the hammer throw at 63.62 meters.

Also for the CMU men, Jackson Blanchard is ranked fourth in the 400 hurdles with a time of 52.33 seconds; Kevin Weiler is ranked fifth in the shotput with a throw of 17.72 meters; and Jack Dodge is ranked eighth in the 200 with a time of 21.21 seconds.

STRATEGIC SPLIT
The idea behind having the Chippewas split into two squads is face the best competition they can find.

The sprinters and throwers will be up against some of the best in the country in their respective fields at Tennessee.

"I think this is the time of year where the field events and the sprinters are really starting to build momentum, and they need to get to that (better) weather, they need to get to that competition, and the reps," CMU director of track & field Jenny Swieton said. "I think it's vital for the sprinters, and the field athletes, to get to that good weather and get to that good competition right now."

The distance runners have faced stiff competition all year, beginning with the cross country season in the fall and continuing through the indoor track & field season. That said, they will see plenty of good competition at Oakland, Swieton said.

"For the distance athletes, they just don't have to compete as often, and we don't want them to compete as often," Swieton said. "It's not a matter of traveling for them, it's about continuing to get really good training block. This kind of mid-point of the season, our goals are a little bit different, and we'll come together when we need to come together."

NEXT
The Chippewas are scheduled to travel to Charlottesville, Va. to compete in the Virginia Classic on Friday and Saturday, April 19-20.