UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw
Valley State University men's and women's track teams
hosted the SVSU “Doug Hanson” Open today (Jan. 15).
Both teams competed very well placing many athletes in the
top-three spots. The women's team had two first place
finishes the first coming from senior Amanda
Roache (Mt. Morris, Mich./Mt. Morris HS) who finished the
5,000-meter run in a time of 18:56.19. The next first place earned
was in the high jump from junior Tiffany
Norton (Flint, Mich./Carman-Ainsworth HS) who leaped a height
of 1.57 meters. Earning respectable second place finishes were
sophomores Megan
Pittoors (Macomb, Mich./Dakota HS), Angela
Brooks (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon HS), and Ashley Meyer
(Shepherd, Mich./Shepherd HS). Pittoors earned her second place
finish in the 5,000-meter run, timing in at 19:33.17, while Brooks
earned hers in the 400-meter run crossing the line with a time of
1:01.36. Meyer took second in the 800-meter run with a final time
of 2:26.17. Earning second and third place finishes in the
pole vault (3.50 meters) and long jump (1.57 meters) was sophomore
transfer Elizabeth
Willford (Gladwin, Mich./Gladwin HS). Sophomore Erica Marsh
(Litchfield, Mich./Litchfield HS) placed second in the women's
weight throw with a toss of 13.13 meters. Fellow
underclassman Chelsea
Henderson (Ludington, Mich./Ludington HS) earned a second place
finish in the throws as well, tossing the shot a distance of 11.33
meters. Sophomores Sarah
Kawiecki (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) and Lauren Hill
(Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock HS) both earned SVSU third place
finishes, Kawiecki in the 400-meter run (1:01.48) and Hill in the
3,000-meter run (11:15.99). Middle distance runner Alycia
Wright (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North HS) placed third in the
800-meter run with a final time of 2:26.58. To conclude the
meet the women's mile relay team made up of Alanah
Pietryga, Wright, Brooks, and Kawiecki, earned a second place
finish clocking in at 4:12.66.
The men's team had four, first place finishes on the day
starting with freshman Calvin
Sullins (Adrian, Mich./Adrian HS) in the 60-meter hurdles
timing in at 8.50 seconds. The next first place was earned in the
5,000-meter run by freshman Tyler Noble
(Shepherd, Mich./Shepherd HS) who clocked in at 15:59.24. The next
two first place finishes were from seniors Derek Stone
(Metamora, Mich./Lapeer East HS), in the mile (4:18.07), and Steve
Genther (Laingsburg, Mich./Laingsburg HS), in the 3,000-meter
run (8:41.64). Another top finisher was junior Scott
Chevalier (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) who placed third in the
60-meter dash timing in at 6.98 seconds. Earning a third
place finish in the mile was senior Ben Richards
(Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich HS) crossing the line with a time of
4:21.19. In the long jump, junior Trevor
Opalewski (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) leaped a
distance of 6.15 meters placing third overall. Freshmen Tyler
Grob (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney HS) and Kane Dietzel
(Twining, Mich./Whittemore-Prescott HS) took fourth in their
respective events, Grob in the pole vault (4.30 meters) and Dietzel
in the shot put (13.48 meters). Distance runner, Jon Wetters
(Essexville, Mich./Garber HS), and middle distance runner, Josh Arnold
(Clio, Mich./Clio HS), both earned third place finishes in the
3,000-meter (9:06.91) and the 800-meter (2:01.56). To end the
meet the men's mile relay team, composed of freshman Tony Rash
(Perry, Mich./Perry HS), Josh Arnold, Ben Richards and Charlie
Richards, took second place finishing with a time of 3:30.10.
The men's and women's track and field teams will be back in
action again Friday (Jan. 22) when they travel to Grand Valley
State University to participate in the Bob Eubanks Open.
