February 7, 2004
Track & Field
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                       Cardinals Have Good Showing in Division II Challenge

UNIVERSITY CENTER, MICH. - The Saginaw Valley State University track and field squads hosted a Division II Challenge on Saturday, February 7. The weight throw was once again a strong field event for Saginaw Valley as sophomore Ashley Bishop (Pickford, Mich.) bettered her school-record set a week earlier in the weight throw, by throwing a distance of 54' 02.5". Her previous record was 53’10.5’’. On the men’s side Jason Andrich (Marlette, Mich.) also had a fine showing in the weight throw, finishing third with a throw of 55’01.5’’.
      The Cards had some strong finishes in the track events, as they recorded nine top three finishes. Taking home first place honors for the Cards was Chris Baranek (Kawkawlin, Mich.) in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.95. He also teamed up with Bill Germain (Vassar, Mich.), Lewis Gordon (Lansing, Mich.), and Kyle Rauschenberger (Auburn, Mich./Western HS) to take home first place honors in the 4X400 meter relay, with a time of 3:22.78. Gordon also had a second place finish in the 400 meter dash with a time of 49.61 seconds. Senior Mohommed Waite (East Lansing, Mich.) took home two-second place honors, in the 800 meter run and the 4X800 meter relay team. Waite ran a time of 1:58.28. in the 800, and then teamed with Paul Jozwiak (Berkley, Mich.), Pedro Ortega (Saginaw, Mich./Swan Valley), and Jerrod Colvin (Roscommon, Mich.) for a silver medal finish in the 3200 meter relay with a time of 7:51.68.
      Taking home a third place finish for SVSU was Mandie Gallier (Midland, Mich./Shawnee Medford) in the 400 meter dash, crossing the line in 57.94 seconds. Greg Schmidt (Leslie, Mich.) also had a third place finish for the Cards in the 5000 meter run, finishing with a time of 15:33.10. The women’s 4X800 meter relay team of Ashley Samples (St. Clair, Mich./Marysville HS), Jessica Rokicki (Pigeon, Mich./Laker HS), Nikki Charbonneau (Macomb, Mich./L’Anse Creuse HS), and Meagan Strohkirch (Gladwin, Mich.) ran a time of 10:01.92, giving them a third place finish. Rounding out the top finishers for the Cards was the 1600 meter relay team of Krystin Vogel (Ubly, Mich.), Jessica Sweeney (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS), Lisa Fair (Troy, Mich./Athens HS) and Gallier, as they ran a time of 4:04.83 seconds to finish third.

Contact: Nathan Roskey (989) 964-4053

                                                         ####