Eugene, Ore.: the mecca of collegiate track and field. For the five athletes that the Michigan women’s track and field team sent to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships, the 2024 outdoor season culminated on the largest stage. And in the confines of the iconic Hayward Field, the Wolverines delivered.
Placing 18th out of the 57 teams competing, Michigan’s success was more prominent at the individual level than at the team level. Junior Savannah Sutherland placed second in the 400-meter hurdles, earning herself a first team All-American distinction. Joining her on the first team were graduate Corrine Jemison and senior Aasia Laurencin, both of whom also performed well enough to earn the honor.
On Thursday, the Wolverines loudly announced their presence. Sophomore Emma Yungeberg — who had recently set multiple school records in the javelin throw — continued her streak of improvements with a 52.36-meter throw on her final attempt. The effort was good enough for yet another school record, a 14th-place finish and a second team All-American distinction. On the track, both Sutherland and Laurencin breezed through their semifinal races and punched their ticket to Saturday’s finals.
But Saturday, many eyes trained on Sutherland: The hurdler was defending her national title in the 400-meter hurdles. Hailing from Saskatchewan, Canada, Sutherland set both a Canadian and school record with a time of 54.04 seconds, the possibility of a repeat began to grow larger.
“The prelims went really well,” Sutherland said Sunday. “I had a decently smooth race, but it wasn’t perfect. So I had some pretty concrete things that I needed to clean up for the final, so it was nice to just have something very concrete to focus on.”
Sutherland got off to a smooth start in the finals, setting an early tone. Holding position for the first 300 meters of the race, Sutherland found herself in a favorable position. Entering the final straight, she held a half-step lead on Southern California’s Jasmine Jones. But a late kick from Jones 50 meters from the finish-line helped her eke out the reigning champ Sutherland by .09 seconds.
Despite just missing out on a repeat title, Sutherland’s time of 53.26 seconds set yet another school record and Canadian record — both accolades she has become well-acquainted with. And as Sutherland continues to impress on the national stage, she continues to build a solid foundation for Michigan’s program, showing that a northern program can have success. In a sport that favors schools in warmer climates, Sutherland’s performances certainly buck the trend.
“(Sprinters) tend to stay south,” Wolverines coach Kevin Sullivan said Sunday. “And I know that when we have great coaches, we have great facilities and we have great training. So you can really build the sprint side of your program from those types of exceptional performances that Savannah put out.”
Fellow sprinter Laurencin also put on a solid performance, earning sixth place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.86 seconds. Laurencin’s performance in Eugene proved an impressive bookend to her career in what could be her last event as a Wolverine.
Rounding out Michigan’s showing, junior Riley Ammenhouser and Jemison also competed in field events Saturday. Ammenhauser placed 18th overall in the triple jump with a 12.90-meter effort. And Jemison set yet another school record in discus throw with a distance of 60.07 meters, good for 6th overall.
“I’m really proud of the way that everyone went out there and competed and not only represented Michigan in the ‘Block M’, but also the Big Ten as well,” Sutherland said Sunday.
Three new school records and a Canadian record to boot, the Wolverines’ athletes certainly put on a strong performance for both their squad and their conference.
But with the curtains drawn on the 2024 outdoor season, the Wolverines have a myriad of strong performances to build on, perhaps performances that can change the tides of the program altogether. But for now, it’s one hurdle at a time.
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