Career-Best Distance Performances Highlight Day One at Penn Relays

Career-Best Distance Performances Highlight Day One at Penn Relays

Site: Philadelphia, Pa. (Franklin Field)

Event: Penn Relays (Day 1 of 3)

U-M Result: No team scoring

Next U-M Event: Friday, April 28 — at Penn Relays – Day 2 (Philadelphia, Pa.); at Jim Greene Invitational – Day 1 (Lexington, Ky.)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The University of Michigan men’s track and field team began action at the historic Penn Relays on Thursday (April 27) with competition in three distance events. Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field, the Wolverines ended the day with multiple career-best performances.

Kicking off the day for the Wolverines, Oli Raimond, Tom Brady, Riley Flemington, Thomas Shilgalis and Anthony Hancock all raced in the 1,500 meters. Raimond had the highest finish of the group, taking ninth overall behind a career-best 3:43.92, while Brady followed closely behind with a tenth-place finish in 3:44.14. Both runners ran in the first heat. In the third heat, Flemington put out a time of 3:47.45 to claim twenty-third overall and fifth in his heat. Shilgalis and Hancock followed, with Shilgalis (3:48.54) taking twenty-seventh overall and Hancock taking twenty-eighth (3:48.70).

Jack Spamer saw the highest Michigan finish of the day, finishing fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:52.01. The effort marked a new career-best for Spamer, who now holds the second-best time in the Big Ten Conference. Caleb Jarema made his steeple debut, finishing tenth in the first heat and sixteenth overall. Jarema’s time of 9:02.66 was a competitive mark and an impressive start for the freshman. Colton Yesney rounded out the group, finishing twenty-sixth overall and in 9:18.59.

The final event of the day for Michigan was the 5,000 meters, which featured James Gedris, Jack Kelke and Luke Venhuizen. Gedris took forty-sixth (14:31.31), Kelke took fifty-fifth (14.37.99) and Venhuizen took fifty-sixth (14:38.45). Kelke’s mark was a career-best.

The Wolverines will continue action at Franklin Field Friday (April 28) with the distance medley relay Championship of America and the shot put. Michigan will also begin action tomorrow in Kentucky with the University of Kentucky’s Jim Green Invitational.

…