Provisional Marks, New School Records Highlight Last Chance Meets for Track Teams
RESULTS: Aquinas | Hillsdale | North Central | GVSU 2nd to Last Chance | GVSU Last Chance
Several Michigan Tech track and field student-athletes competed in last chance meets over the past week in hopes of qualifying for NCAA nationals later this month. The Huskies took part in various events at Aquinas College (May 11), Hillsdale College (May 11-12), North Central College (May 12-13) and Grand Valley State (May 13-14).
Three different Tech entrants turned in provisional marks, including Kyle Petermann (discus), Nate Hood (long jump) and Liz Bloch (800-meter).
Petermann's throw of 54.19 meters at the GVSU Last Chance Meet reset the Michigan Tech all-time record and put him at No. 11 in the NCAA provisional list.
Hood earned a jump of 23-9 in the GVSU Second to Last Chance Meet, the best jump in MTU history.
Bloch ran the 800-meter race at the North Central meet in 2:12.97 to capture a provisional time and the No. 1 spot in the Tech record books.
Other strong performances came from Jason Saliga (3000-meter steeplechase), the women's 4x400-meter relay team of Aimee Allen, Lauren Tetzloff, Jamie Dompier and Ashley Veale, and Jake Jurkowski in the pole vault.
Saliga finished the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:14.26 at the North Central meet.
The 4x400-meter relay team ran the event in 3:51.93 at the Hillsdale meet to crack the top-10 all-time school list.
Jurkowski posted a 15-1 in the pole vault at the GVSU Second to Last Chance Meet for a top-10 Tech showing in that event.
The results this weekend now give the Huskies seven athletes with NCAA provisional times. The list includes Hood, Petermann, Saliga, Casey Buckner (javelin) and Jevon Maddox (400-meter hurdles) on the men's side, and Bloch and Veale (400-meter hurdles) in the women's events.
Petermann and Maddox, who sit at No. 11 and 20 on the provisional lists for their respective events, will find out if they've qualified for NCAA nationals on Tuesday (May 17).
"I'm impressed with what our athletes were able to accomplish over the course of the season," said head coach Joe Haggenmiller. "To have seven provisional times is outstanding and all the work of the athletes and assistant coaches is really helping this program improve. Hopefully Kyle and Jevon both qualify for the NCAAs and we can cheer them on as they compete on the national stage."