Canadian Olympian Sutherland Wins 200, 400 And Chases Down UCLA To Win 4x400 For Michigan

By David Woods for DyeStat

INTERVIEWS

INDIANAPOLIS – If 2024 was a good year for Erin Reese, well, 2025 might be momentous.

The 29-year-old thrower opened Friday with a world-leading distance of 81 feet, 3.25 inches (24.77m) in the 20-pound weight at the Crossroads of America Invitational.

That was seven feet longer than her opener last year, when she went on to nearly set a world best in the weight and then made the U.S. Olympic team in the hammer.

“I wasn’t really expecting to throw that far, but I was having a pretty good practice the other day, so I assumed I could open up with a good mark,” said Reese, an Indiana State graduate and assistant coach at her alma mater. “There’s a lot to improve on, too, still. So I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

Reese was one of three women coming off the Paris Olympics to win in the two-day meet that ended Saturday. It was the second of seven collegiate meets set for the two-year-old Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion on the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

It was prelude for Big Ten schools, which return here Feb. 28-March 1 for the conference championship.

It was redemptive for Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland, who had an ailing hamstring at this time a year ago. The 21-year-old – the first Canadian to make an Olympic 400-meter hurdles final since 1996 – won a triple in the 200 meters, 400 and 4x400 relay, all in facility records.

She had a PB of 23.26 Friday in the 200, took the 400 in 52.03 and capped it all by erasing a three-second deficit with a 50.68 anchor in the 4x400 relay. Michigan won the 4x400 in 3:35.38, overtaking UCLA in second, 3:35.74.

Sutherland acknowledged the Olympics aftermath was “a little bit hectic” because she was away from her routine for four summer weeks, splitting time between Paris and a Spain training camp.

“I’m definitely a step up from where I was last year,” she said.

The third Olympian winner was Louisville’s Jayden Ulrich, a discus thrower who took the shot put at 58-3.25 (17.76m).

Top men’s highlight was the pavilion’s first-sub-4-minute mile, run by Michigan sophomore Trent McFarland in 3:59.72. He said he had hoped for a deeper field but was paced through 800 meters by teammate Ian Hill. McFarland ran the last 800 in 2:00.71.

“Being able to run the back half by myself after my teammate paced me through shows a lot of grit and strength that I have,” he said.

McFarland, still a 19-year-old, unexpectedly won outdoor Big Ten and U20 national titles last year. He was 5-11 guard in basketball coming out of high school in Utica, Mich., where he scored 10 points per game. His 1,600 best was only 4:16.74, but he won a state 800 title in 1:50.68.

Rutgers had two men’s winners: pole vaulter Brian O’Sullivan at 18-0/5.49m and hurdler Christopher Serrao in 7.93. Purdue’s Cameron Miller won the 200 in 20.69 and ran a 46.26 third leg in the 4x400 relay.

In other women’s events, pro Gabi Leon and Rutgers’ Chloe Timberg tied for first in the pole vault at 14-6.75 (4.44m).

Michigan’s Aasia Laurencin took the 60 hurdles in 8.14, ahead of UCLA’s Yanla Ndjip-Dyemeck, 8.24. The UCLA hurdler led Friday’s trials in 8.18.

Laurencin, sixth in the NCAA hurdles indoors and outdoors last year, said she wanted to rehearse for the Big Ten meet and repeat as conference indoor champion.

“The Big Ten has become the new SEC,” she said. “I think we’re going to be fastest conference in the hurdles.”

Contact David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.