Michigan State University
Jesse Owens Classic
Track & Field Wraps Up Jesse Owens Classic
5/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
May 3, 2009
Complete Results in PDF Format 
Day One Recap
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The 2009 Michigan State track & field program concluded the Jesse Owens Classic Saturday at Ohio State University. In all, MSU turned in top-10 performances in 19 different events and set four additional regional qualifying marks to go along with the five that they set in day one of competition yesterday. Highlighting the regional qualifiers on the day were a pair of runners in the 800m run - Shane Knoll (Warren, Mich.) and Leah Elenbaas (Greenville, Mich.). Knoll paced the men by placing first overall in the event with a time of 1:49.78, his second best mark of the season, while Elenbaas placed third with a time of 2:08.93, her second-best time of the season as well.
Senior Nicole Bush (Wyoming, Mich.) was the only Spartan to not compete at the Jesse Owens as she competed at the Payton Jordan Stanford Invitational. Bush had a standout performance in the 3,000m steeplechase, breaking her own school record in the event while running the nation's and Big Ten's top time this season. Bush finished second in the event with a regional qualifying time of 9:39.38, the fastest by a collegiate athlete this season, the second-fastest time in the world this season and fifth-fastest time by a collegiate athlete ever. She is the only student-athlete in the Big Ten to rank in the top five in three different events this season - the 3,000m steeplechase, the 5,000m run and the 1,500m run. The only person to edge Bush in the race was Lindsey Anderson, who is the former collegiate record holder, who now runs for Nike. Click here to watch the race and click here for a post-race interview with Bush. Both videos are courtesy of FloTrack.org.
Sophomore Kyron Foster (Deltona, Fla.) highlighted the regional qualifiers in the field events for the Spartans. In his first performance of the outdoor season, Foster turned in a leap of 15.24m (50-0), placing him second in the triple jump. The jumpers continued their success throughout the meet, highlighted by the high jumpers for both the men and women. Starting with the women, freshman Becca Buchholtz (East Troy, Mich.) finished eighth in the event after tying her outdoor season-high of 1.70m (5-7). Teammate Jessica Scherting (Saginaw, Mich.) placed just behind Buchholtz in ninth with leap of 1.65m (5-5).
The men saw four student-athletes finish in the top 10 in the high jump as freshman Cliff Miller (Ann Arbor, Mich.) led the way for MSU, earning fifth place with a leap of 2.02m (6-7 1/2). In his final jump attempt, teammate Kevin Jackson (Detroit, Mich.) hit the same mark as Miller, which is a season-best and earned him seventh overall. Kris Amos (Detroit, Mich.) and Brent Shuttleworth (Edawardsburg, Mich.) tied for 10th in the event after clearing 1.97m (6-5 1/2). Katie Shaw (Lakeview, Mich.) rounded out the top finishers for the jumpers after clearing 3.70m (12-1 1/2) in the pole vault, earning fourth in the event.
The throwers also saw a pair of student-athletes set regional qualifying marks during day two of competition. Ashley Lawrence (Troy, Mich.) was the highlight for the throwers on the women's side, posting a mark of 15.22m (49-11 1/4) in the shot put, placing her sixth amongst a very competitive field that featured 12 regional qualifiers. Her mark was a substantial personal-best and leads the team so far this season. Lawrence also finished ninth in the discus with a throw of 46.92m (153-11). Freshman Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich.) was the regional qualifier for the throwers on the men's side. Pugh tossed 53.75m (176-4) in the discus, earning him seventh place in the event. The mark is Pugh's and the team's third-best mark in the event this season.
MSU also saw plenty of success on the sprints, highlighted by Charelise Davis (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Erica Mann (Battle Creek, Mich.), who each turned in top-10 finishes in both the 100m and 200m dashes. Davis finished sixth in the 100m after finishing in 12.01 while Mann placed ninth with a time of 12.09. Davis also clocked in at 24.10, a personal-best time, in the 200m dash, earning third overall and barley missing a regional qualifying mark. Mann placed ninth in the event with a time of 24.69, a season-best time.
Additionally, the men saw great performances on the short track as Jake Hamilton (Troy, Mich.) and Michael Smoot (Trenton, Mich.) each turned in top-10 finishes. Hamilton placed third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.91, just missing his personal-best time. Smoot earned seventh place in the 400m dash with a time of 47.94, rounding out the top finishers of the Spartans on the day.
MSU will return to action when they head to the Len Paddock Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich., next weekend. The meet, hosted by Michigan, will be the Spartans' final tune-up before the Big Ten Championships in two weeks.
Players Mentioned
