There are 43 athletes on the Michigan women's track and field team — and all of them saw action in last Friday's Akron Quad.

The Wolverines took advantage of the fact that the meet did not limit how many runners could participate, and the entire squad made the trip to Ohio for the meet against Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Akron. The extra runners didn't slow Michigan down as it ran away with an impressive victory.

The meet gave younger members of the Wolverines an opportunity to show what they can do for the team. After the first meet, only 32 athletes are allowed to travel with the team for the remainder of the season.

“There are standout people and people who are progressing and people who are just beginning,” Michigan assistant coach Anne Takacs-Grieb said. “So it is a chance for beginners or those who are progressing to see what they can really do and become a part of the traveling squad.”

Senior team captains Tiffany Ofili, Geena Gall, Casey Taylor and Bettie Wade, along with providing strong support for their younger teammates, collected six combined first-place finishes.

The four captains and other seniors have set out to establish themselves on the national level this season, a feat Taylor and sophomore Allison Liske arguably already accomplished on Friday. Taylor and Liske both met NCAA provisional marks in Akron, Taylor in the triple jump and Liske in the shot put.

“The reason our captains were picked as captains is because they are leaders not only be example but in competition,” Takacs-Grieb said. “They are trying to perform on the national level and when we have a meet like we had on Friday, a starter meet, you are trying to get a good baseline for your season."

The Wolverines’ dominant performance – second-place Buffalo finished 37 points back – is promising for the season to come.

“We have a really broad, successful team,” Takacs-Grieb said. “We have people in almost every event area, so we were feeling as if (the Akron Quad) was going to be a win.”