Track & field teams compete at Spartan Invitational

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Olivet College men's and women's outdoor track & field teams participated in the 10th Annual Michigan State University Spartan Invitational today at the Ralph Young Track in East Lansing. The unscored meet featured a mix of NCAA Division I, II and III schools, as well as a couple NAIA and NJCAA institutions and unattached athletes.

MEN

Junior Jalen Weaver (Albion) took first-place out of 38 runners in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.24. His time was almost a half-second faster than the runner-up finisher from Michigan State and .74 seconds faster than the third-place finisher from Eastern Michigan University.

Sophomore Travon Tatum (Battle Creek/Lakeview) finished in the top half of the field in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. He placed 10th in the 100 with a time of 11.75 seconds and 12th in the 200 with a time of 23.34 seconds. Both races had 32 runners competing.

Junior Anthony Giordano (Livonia/Clarenceville) broke the school record in the hammer throw with a 126 foot, 9 inch toss. Freshman DeQuarius Yore (Battle Creek/Lakeview) had a personal-best mark of 123 feet, 2 inches in the discus throw.

WOMEN

Junior Cassie Ciaravino (Lapeer/East) was the top finisher for the Comets, as she placed second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.27 seconds. The time was only 17 hundredths slower than a Michigan State sprinter. Senior Jenna Mayle (Ionia) was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:09.83, which was less than two seconds off her school-record mark of 1:08.39.

Senior Sara Wegener (Lansing/Lansing Catholic) had Olivet's best finish in the field events, as she finished fifth in the shot put with a 38 feet, 11 inch mark. Ciaravino was sixth in the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 8.50 inches. She finished behind three athletes from Eastern Michigan and two from Michigan State.

Olivet will participate in the 2014 MIAA Jamboree next Saturday, April 12. The meet is being hosted by Alma College.