Lansing Sun

Spartan Track and Field athletes made significant strides on the second day of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The men's team moved up to third place in the standings, thanks in part to Ryan Talbot's victory in the decathlon.

Talbot secured his second career conference title with a season-best score of 7,535 points. He achieved wins in both the shot put and 400m dash on day one and maintained strong performances across events on day two. His efforts helped propel the Spartans into a competitive position.

In other notable performances, Andrew Nolan finished second in the men's 3000m steeplechase with a personal record time of 8:45.33. Tyler Pritchett also contributed by finishing sixth. On the women's side, Sophia Lucki placed sixth in her race.

Heath Baldwin added points for Michigan State by placing sixth in the long jump finals after securing a spot in the 110 hurdles finals. Despite not participating in the decathlon this year, Baldwin is focusing on several events over the weekend.

Shae Harbaugh earned a place in tomorrow's finals by finishing eighth in her event's trials, while Taryn Hankins recorded a season-best high jump mark for MSU.

The final day of competition will take place on Sunday, with live coverage available on B1G+. Director Lisa Breznau expressed optimism about building momentum and praised Ryan Talbot's performance as well as Heath Baldwin's leadership within the team.

"Today and yesterday Ryan was incredible," said Breznau regarding Talbot's achievement. "He stayed calm and consistent just to be able to do what he needed to do to be a Big Ten Champion again."

Breznau also commented on Baldwin's impact: "He's engaging with everyone, he's respectful, and I think when you have someone like that, it's easy for the team to have someone to rally around."