Michigan State University
NCAA Mideast Regional
Bush, Price, Orr and Pugh Qualify for NCAA Championships
5/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
May 30, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One day after senior Lisa Senakiewich (Davison, Mich.) qualified for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the women's 5,000m run, the Michigan State track & field program saw four additional student-athletes qualify for nationals after their performances at the final day of the NCAA Mideast Regional, held at Cardinal Stadium on the campus of Louisville on Saturday. Joining Senakiewich will be seniors Nicole Bush (Wyoming, Mich.), Sarah Price (Mankato, Minn.) and Jeremy Orr (Detroit, Mich.), and freshman Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich.). The five automatic qualifiers are the most for director of track & field Walt Drenth in his three seasons at Michigan State.
"I felt that from the beginning of the meet, we really competed very well," Drenth commented. "It really is an exhilarating sign for the program to qualify the number of athletes that we did. The goal of this meet is to earn a spot at nationals, and I thought we did a good job of giving everything that we had in order to get there."
Bush was the highlight of the day as she claimed the 3,000m steeplechase title with a Cardinal Park record of 9:57.66, finishing nearly 16 seconds faster than the next closest competitor, Sarah Pease of Indiana. Bush has won every steeplechase race that she has participated in this season and will be making her third appearance at the NCAA Championships. Price finished just behind Pease in third place with a time of 10:23.20, earning the senior her second-consecutive trip to nationals in the event. Bush and Price teamed to score 16 points for the Spartan women in the event, who finished in ninth place out of 39 teams.
Orr placed third in the 400m dash with a personal-best time of 45.78, which is also a team-best for the Spartans this season. Orr will be making his second trip to the national championships and first since 2006 when he qualified in the 400m dash as well.
Pugh will be making his first trip to the NCAAs as he placed fifth in the discus throw after he shattered his own school record with a toss of 58.65m (192-5). Pugh and Orr combined to score 10 points for the men in the team competition, who placed 21st out of 42 teams.
Sophomore pole vaulter Logan Lynch (Lambertville, Mich.) was another high-point for the Spartans at the two-day competition. Lynch turned in the second-best vault of his career, posting a mark of 5.06m (16-7 ¼) en-route to a ninth-place finish. After his ninth-place finish at the regional and his career-best vault of 5.20m (17-0 ¾) at the Drake Relays earlier this season, Lynch could still earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships.
Sophomore Kyron Foster (Deltona, Fla.) also kept his chances for an at-large bid to nationals alive after placing 12th in the triple jump with a jump of 15.18m (49-9 ¾). Coming into the meet, Foster ranked 17th in the nation in the event and after placing 12th at the regional, Foster will need an at-large berth for a chance to qualify for nationals.
The throwers kept things going for the men in the hammer throw as both Anthony Agrusa (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and Kyle Strotbaum (Grosse Ile, Mich.) set personal-bests in the event with Agrusa shattering the school record. Agrusa finished 12th overall with a throw of 59.21m (194-3), while Strotbaum placed right behind him in 13th after heaving 58.75m (192-9).
Sophomore Ashley Lawrence (Troy, Mich.) was the final competitor to finish for the Spartans on the day. She placed third in the shot put with a throw of 14.61m (47-11 ¼), her third-best throw of the season.
The at-large bids to the NCAA Championships will be announced Monday at 5 p.m. The 2009 NCAA National Outdoor Championships will be held on 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. For all the latest on MSU track & field, check back with www.msuspartans.com.
Players Mentioned
