Spartans Shine in Ann Arbor with Six Wins at Michigan Invitational
Michigan State track and field made its presence felt in a big way at the Michigan Invitational on Saturday, racking up six first-place finishes and delivering strong performances across the board-both on the track and in the field.
Let’s start with the throws, where MSU wasted no time asserting itself. Elle Adrian opened the day with a dominant victory in the women’s weight throw, launching a meet-best 22.15 meters.
That mark wasn’t just good-it was commanding. Rylan Finstrom also had herself a day, finishing fourth with a personal-best 17.78m in the same event, then coming back to place third in the women’s shot put with a solid 16.11m.
Over on the men’s side, the Spartans were just as sharp in the weight throw. Xavier Griffiths led the way with a winning toss of 19.90m, just shy of his personal best but more than enough to top the field. Dalton DeBeau wasn’t far behind, taking third at 19.46m, while Dillon Morlock grabbed fourth with a personal-best throw of 18.10m.
But Morlock wasn’t done. He came back in the shot put and climbed to the top of the podium, winning the event with a throw of 18.97m.
Right behind him? His brother Colby, who took second with an 18.46m mark.
That’s a family one-two punch that’ll turn heads in any meet.
In the men’s pole vault, Adam Blue delivered a breakout performance, clearing a personal-best 5.31m to win the event. That jump now ranks sixth all-time in Michigan State history-an elite mark that cements Blue as one to watch as the season progresses. On the women’s side, Sophia Mettes turned in a season-best vault of 4.08m to take fourth.
The Spartans didn’t just dominate in the field-they were flying on the track, too.
Logan Allen kicked things off with a statement win in the men’s 60m hurdles. After qualifying first, he stormed through the final and crossed the line in 7.79 seconds, setting a new Michigan Invitational meet record in the process. That’s the kind of performance that sets the tone for a team-and Allen delivered.
In the men’s 60m dash, both Jeremy Dixon and Cameron Cheetam qualified for the final, but it was Cheetam who stole the spotlight. He clocked a personal-best 6.77 seconds to win the event, a time that now stands as the fourth-fastest in Michigan State history. That’s not just a win-it’s a legacy-building run.
And while Saturday was full of highlights, Friday brought one of its own. At the Jud Logan Light Giver Indoor Pentathlon hosted by Ashland University, Tess Roman delivered a standout performance.
She finished as the top collegiate competitor with 3,823 points-good for the second-highest pentathlon score in MSU history. That’s a big-time result in a demanding event, and a strong sign of what’s to come for Roman.
All told, Michigan State walked away from the weekend with six wins, a handful of personal bests, and a growing list of athletes climbing the program’s all-time charts. With performances like these, the Spartans are building serious momentum-and making it clear they’re a force to be reckoned with this indoor season.