Track & Field Destinations: Ohio State, Hillsdale

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan track & field team will split into two squads this weekend for two meets this weekend.

The Chippewa distance runners will travel to Hillsdale College for the Gina Relays on Thursday and Friday. The CMU sprinters and throwers will travel to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the Jesse Owens Classic, hosted by Ohio State, on Friday and Saturday.

WHERE THEY STAND
The CMU women's team is ranked eighth in the Great Lakes Region for the second-consecutive week.

Senior Janelle Perry is ranked first in the region and fifth in the NCAA in the long jump at 21 feet, 2 ½ inches. She set the program record, 20-7 ¾, last weekend at the Virginia Challenge. She also ranks third in the region in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.34 seconds.

CMU's Nadia Williams, the previous record holder in the long jump, ranks No. 3 in the event in the region at 20-5.

Also for the Chippewa women, Siobhan Szerencsits ranks No. 3 in the pole vault at 13-3 ¾; Megan McElroy is fourth in the javelin at 153-1; Samantha Cuneo ranks sixth in the 400, 54.02; and Erin Howard ranks No. 7 in the shot put at 53-3, a program record.

The CMU men's team is ranked No. 13 in the Great Lakes Region, moving up one spot from last week.

CMU's Shane Moffo ranks No. 2 in the region in the 110 hurdles at 13.87; Logan Targgart ranks No. 3 in the hammer throw at 214-8; Jackson Blanchard is fourth in the 400 hurdles at 52.33; Jack Dodge ranks fifth in the 400 at 46.79; Kevin Weiler is sixth in the shot put at 58-3 ¼; and the CMU men's 4x400 relay squad is fifth at 3:12.58.

FRIENDLY COMPETITION
With Perry breaking the program record in the long jump a week after Williams broke her own program record in the long jump, the Chippewas have established a friendly, competitive environment.

It's not just with Perry and Williams. Two weeks after Marissa Dunn broke the program record in the hammer throw, Quiara Wheeler came within 4 inches of Dunn's record at the Virginia Challenge; pole vaulters AJ Ferns and Isaac Sadzewicz marks are less than 3 inches apart.

The competitions run through all of events, CMU director of track & field Jenny Swieton said.

"Like Hannah Davis, at the Raleigh Relays moved ahead of Megan O'Neil in the 5,000 meter," Swieton said, "And last weekend Megan moved ahead of Hannah. I absolutely think the competition will continue throughout the rest of the season and help us out in the long run."

NEXT
The Chippewas will travel to Ann Arbor to compete in the Len Paddock Open, hosted by Michigan next weekend. It is the last meet before the Chippewas compete in the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships from May 9-11 at Ball State in Muncie, Ind.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jackson Blanchard

Samantha Cuneo

Hannah Davis

Jack Dodge

Marissa Dunn

Erin Howard

Megan McElroy

Shane Moffo

Megan O'Neil

Janelle Perry

Isaac Sadzewicz

Siobhan Szerencsits

Logan Targgart

Kevin Weiler

Quiara Wheeler

Nadia Williams