UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University men’s and women’s track teams hosted the SVSU “Doug Hanson” Open today (Jan. 15).

Both teams competed very well placing many athletes in the top-three spots. The men’s team had four, first place finishes on the day starting with freshman Calvin Sullins (Adrian, Mich./Adrian HS) in the 60-meter hurdles timing in at 8.50 seconds. The next first place was earned in the 5,000-meter run by freshman Tyler Noble (Shepherd, Mich./Shepherd HS) who clocked in at 15:59.24. The next two first place finishes were from seniors Derek Stone (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer East HS), in the mile (4:18.07), and Steve Genther (Laingsburg, Mich./Laingsburg HS), in the 3,000-meter run (8:41.64). Another top finisher was junior Scott Chevalier (Ann Arbor, Mich./Dexter HS) who placed third in the 60-meter dash timing in at 6.98 seconds.  Earning a third place finish in the mile was senior Ben Richards (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich HS) crossing the line with a time of 4:21.19.  In the long jump, junior Trevor Opalewski (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) leaped a distance of 6.15 meters placing third overall.  Freshmen Tyler Grob (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney HS) and Kane Dietzel (Twining, Mich./Whittemore-Prescott HS) took fourth in their respective events, Grob in the pole vault (4.30 meters) and Dietzel in the shot put (13.48 meters).  Distance runner, Jon Wetters (Essexville, Mich./Garber HS), and middle distance runner, Josh Arnold (Clio, Mich./Clio HS), both earned third place finishes in the 3,000-meter (9:06.91) and the 800-meter (2:01.56).  To end the meet the men's mile relay team, composed of freshman Tony Rash (Perry, Mich./Perry HS), Josh Arnold, Ben Richards and Charlie Richards, took second place finishing with a time of 3:30.10.

The women’s team had two first place finishes the first coming from senior Amanda Roache (Mt. Morris, Mich./Mt. Morris HS) who finished the 5,000-meter run in a time of 18:56.19. The next first place earned was in the high jump from junior Tiffany Norton (Flint, Mich./Carman-Ainsworth HS) who leaped a height of 1.57 meters. Earning respectable second place finishes were sophomores Megan Pittoors (Macomb, Mich./Dakota HS), Angela Brooks (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon HS), and Ashley Meyer (Shepherd, Mich./Shepherd HS). Pittoors earned her second place finish in the 5,000-meter run, timing in at 19:33.17, while Brooks earned hers in the 400-meter run crossing the line with a time of 1:01.36. Meyer took second in the 800-meter run with a final time of 2:26.17.  Earning second and third place finishes in the pole vault (3.50 meters) and long jump (1.57 meters) was sophomore transfer Elizabeth Willford (Gladwin, Mich./Gladwin HS).  Sophomore Erica Marsh (Litchfield, Mich./Litchfield HS) placed second in the women's weight throw with a toss of 13.13 meters.  Fellow underclassman Chelsea Henderson (Ludington, Mich./Ludington HS) earned a second place finish in the throws as well, tossing the shot a distance of 11.33 meters.  Sophomores Sarah Kawiecki (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) and Lauren Hill (Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock HS) both earned SVSU third place finishes, Kawiecki in the 400-meter run (1:01.48) and Hill in the 3,000-meter run (11:15.99).  Middle distance runner Alycia Wright (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North HS) placed third in the 800-meter run with a final time of 2:26.58.  To conclude the meet the women's mile relay team made up of Alanah Pietryga, Wright, Brooks, and Kawiecki, earned a second place finish clocking in at 4:12.66.

The men's and women's track and field teams will be back in action again Friday (Jan. 22) when they travel to Grand Valley State University to participate in the Bob Eubanks Open.