Full Results

The University of Detroit Mercy men's track and field team took part in the Grand Valley State Open on Friday and came back with a number of strong performances. 

In the 60-meters, UDM had three runners make the finals after winning their respective heats. Junior Earnest Cleary (Detroit, MI/Ferndale) posted the top time, placing second in the race in 6.92 after winning his preliminary in 6.99. Sophomore Vushaun Landrum (Windsor, ON/Sandwich Secondary) became just the third Titan to run under 7 with his 6.98 for third place after his heat leading 7.07, while senior Deonte Osayande (Detroit, MI/Wingate) ran a 7.13 in the prelims and 7.16 for 13th in the finals. 

The same three Titans also had strong times in the 200m led by Landrum's personal record 22.18, good for third place. Cleary was 10th in 22.82, while Osayande was just a few steps behind him at 22.91. 

The distance events provided some key performances starting with the mile and junior Pat Liederbach's (Petoskey, MI/Petoskey) second-place effort in 4:13.54, the fourth-fastest run in UDM history. 

Senior Alex Gould (Comstock Park, MI/Comstock Park) was third in a career-best 4:14.02, setting that mark by seven seconds. The run moved him to the fifth-fastest time as a Titan, just .35 seconds ahead of Dan Zinser. 

Finishing out the mile was senior Kevin Smalley's (Gladwin, MI/Gladwin) PR of 4:24.41 for 18th, while sophomore Rob Radlich (Cheektowaga, NY/Cleveland Hills) was 20th in a career time of 4:25.58. 

The 3000m saw juniors Alex Harris (Huntington Woods, MI/Shrine) and Ryan Ayala (Coopersville, MI/Coopersville finish eighth and ninth, respectively. Harris recorded an 8:44.06 for sixth in Titan annals and Ayala's 8:46.61 put him ninth on the top 10 list. 

Freshman Ja'Quan Patterson (Ypsilanti, MI/Ypsilanti) had two top five marks in the jumps with a fourth-place finish in the long with a leap of 6.44m/21'1" and fifth in the triple with12.97m/42'6” mark, the eighth-best distance in Titan history. Freshman Jeffrey Senecal (North Baltimore, OH/North Baltimore) was 10th in the high jump clearing 1.81m/5'11". 

Rookie Vincent Lefler (Midland, MI/Midland) earned fifth in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.57, while classmate Taylor Hennrick (Traverse City, MI/St. Francis) finished 12th in the race in 8.91. 

Freshman Joe Raffin (Valparaiso, IN/Chesterton) took 10th in the 400m in 51.25, while freshman Chris Smalley (Gladwin, MI/Gladwin) placed eighth in the 800m with a time of 2:00.92. 

The 4x400-meter relay ended the night with a sixth-place finish as the quartet of Landrum, Raffin, Lefler and sophomore Joe LaRocca (Eastpointe, MI/De LaSalle Collegiate) ran a 3:25.74.

The Titans will have next week off before returning to Grand Valley State for the two-day Big Meet on Feb. 12-13.