Feb. 4, 2017
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame recorded seven top-five finishes on day two of the Meyo Invitational on Saturday at Loftus Sports Center.
The weekend featured 42 schools packed inside the indoor track facility, screaming and cheering for one another along the infield. As always, the Meyo Mile was the highlight, and the Irish — sporting green jerseys for the first time in the program’s history — lived up to the hype.
One school record and numerous top-10 finishes later, the 2017 Meyo Invitational has concluded. The Irish now are faced with the daunting task of stepping up — breaking new records — as they work toward the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in three weeks.
Meyo Milers
Junior Jessica Harris (4:37.83) raced to second place in the women’s Meyo Mile, recording a personal best time and jumping to second in the conference and 13th in the country.
“Honestly, I was surprised by it,” she said. “I didn’t expect to have that race. I’m really pleased with my finish. I’m frustrated I was one second away from winning. I’m coming back for it next year.”
Harris said she has not decided whether she will run the 800m or the mile at the ACC Championships later this month.
“I was really hoping and praying for a decisive race,” she said. “I had a really good race. We’ll see what’s coming at ACCs.”
Seniors Jacob Dumford (4:02.77) and Chris Marco (4:04.98) ran in the men’s Meyo Mile and recorded third and eighth place, respectively. Dumford, cheered on by his teammates with gold thunder sticks, recorded a PR in the race.
For the Recordââ’¬¦
Junior Parker English (54.51) set a PR with a ninth-place finish in the 400m dash. Junior Payton Miller (55.51) finished in 18th, and freshman Grace Cronin (58.96) also set a PR in the event.
In the 800m, senior Patrick O’Connell ran to an eighth-place finish and a PR, while sophomore Kelly Hart (2:10.98) came in 15th in the women’s 800m.
In the women’s 3,000m race, sophomore Anna Rohrer (9:15.22) raced alongside graduate student and pace-setter Molly Seidel for roughly one mile. The two led the pack for much of the race, but Rohrer finished fifth overall, coming in just a few seconds behind her PR.
In the Infield
Senior Nate Richartz (5.43m) finished in first place in the pole vault and fell just .03m shy of equaling his PR. Richartz’s mark stands third in the ACC and 12th in the country.
“Today, I was really happy,” he said. “Things started to click as I got down the runway. I got on some bigger poles and it reflected in the performance today. I was really close to 5.50m, but I still have some things I need to work on.”
Freshman Landon Shank came in fifth place in the pole vault, clearing the 4.68m mark.
The men’s high jump duo of junior Hunter Holton (2.08m) and sophomore Matthew Birzer (J2.08m) came in third and sixth place in the event, respectively.
Freshman Indi Jackson (15.19m) finished in fourth place in the women’s shot put, while freshmen Logan Kusky (20th, 15.03m) and Shae Watkins (24th, 14.37m) and sophomore Daniel Hardiman (21st, 15.00m) competed on the men’s side. Watkins’ 14.37m mark is a personal best.
Day One Recap
Senior Anthony Shivers shattered his own school record with a 20.27m throw in the weight throw on Friday. As of Saturday, Shivers owned the fifth-best throw in the ACC.
“I had a good week in practice, so I was expecting some better results — better than previous weeks,” Shivers said. “That was a good mark. I was happy with where I was at. It’s an important step going forward. It’s nice getting back in stride as we head into the postseason.”
The Irish roster features several highly-touted freshmen, including Summer Thorpe, Naya Sharp and Troy Pride Jr. All three freshmen advanced to the semifinals but fell short of making it to the finals on Saturday. Thorpe (8.81) came in 21st place in the 60m hurdles, Sharp (7.73) finished 18th overall in the women’s 60m semifinals, and Pride finished 16th in the semifinals of the men’s 60m dash.
Up Next
The Irish will divide and conquer on February 10-11, when they travel to the Iowa State Classic (Ames, Iowa), the Spire D-I Invitational (Geneva, Ohio) and the Tiger Paw Invitational (Clemson, South Carolina). Graduate student Molly Seidel also will run at the Millrose Games in New York on February 11.
Top Irish Finishers:
W 3000m:
5. Anna Rohrer- 9:15.22
W Mile:
2. Jessica Harris- 4:37.83
M Mile:
3. Jacob Dumford- 4:02.77
W 400m:
9. Parker English- 54.51
M 400m:
22. Alex Groesch- 48.84
W 800m:
15. Kelly Hart-2:10.98
M 800m:
8. Patrick O’Connell- 1:50.71
W 4x400m Relay:
7. Notre Dame-3:42.50
M 4x400m Relay:
11. Notre Dame- 3:16.18
W Triple Jump:
19. Taylor Craft-11.67m
W Shot Put:
4. Indi Jackson- 15.19m
M Shot Put:
20. Logan Kusky- 15.03m
M High Jump:
3. Hunter Holton-2.08m
M Pole Vault:
1.Nate Richartz- 5.43m
W DMR:
11. Notre Dame- 11:47.19
W 5000m:
8. Sydni Meunier- 16:47.43
M 5000m:
27. Brent Kennedy- 14:46.23
W Long Jump:
29. Emily Carson- 5.26m
W Weight Throw:
22. Abby Kapitan- 15.70m
M Weight Throw:
6. Anthony Shivers- 20.27m
W 200m:
21. Allison Bartoszewicz- 25.00
M 200m:
22. Troy Pride Jr.- 22.10
–ND–
Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.