Can 100 percent spandex really make a runner go faster?

While most sprinters and field athletes on the Michigan men"s track and field team regularly don the one-piece, all-spandex speedsuits, the distance runners put the uniforms to the test for the first time at this past Saturday"s Michigan Triangular meet.

And it worked. The duo of Brian Turner and Mike Wisniewski sported the speedsuits and finished 1-2 in the 3,000 meter run. Turner outkicked Wisniewski, finishing in 8:27.68, while Wisniewski clocked 8:28.26.

Turner and Wisniewski"s 1-2 finish was one of many strong performances that helped the Wolverines to a first-place finish in their first scoring meet of the season.

Michigan tallied 163 points, while Central Michigan finished second with 133. Michigan State came in third with 79.

"We were down a little bit in the middle, and then we came back and just kept getting better," Michigan head coach Ron Warhurst said. "I was real happy with this."

Ravi Smith and Tony Wishart gave Michigan another 1-2 finish in the 400-meter dash, running 48.64 and 48.69, respectively. Junior Ike Okenwa who won the 100-meters in 10.72 also won the 200-meters in a time of 21.59, while freshman Anthony Beal finished second in 22.58.

Okenwa said that Beal"s solid finish made him more happy than nervous.

"(Beal) hasn"t had that confidence but these guys are good, or they wouldn"t be here," Okenwa said.

And it"s true. Freshman Mason Ward ran off of senior teammate Steve Lawrence"s shoulder in the 1500-meter run until there were 250 meters left, when Ward took the lead and pulled away to win in 3:53.27. Lawrence finished second in 3:55.20.

What could be considered a surprise win was Kevin Rogan"s victory in the 800-meter dash, a race that was chock full of former state champions.

With less than 100 meters to go, Rogan passed Michigan State"s Matt Ingram and finished in 1:52.17.

Ingram finished second, while Michigan"s Phil Stead and Tommy Greenless ran to third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

In Michigan"s final 1-2 punch on the track, senior co-captain Josh Sellers took first in the 400-meter hurdles, while Andrew Ochs was second in 53.41.

Sellers said having teammates to train with has helped him throughout his racing career.

"Michigan has always had a good core of excellent 400 hurdlers," Sellers said, citing such names as former teammate Brian Theisen and current teammates Ochs and Derek Applewhite.

"I"ve had the benefit of having excellent training partners."

Although they may have been less noticeable to spectators, Michigan"s field event athletes also excelled and helped in the scoring.

Oded Padan, who finished second in the long jump with 22-03 3/4, took first in the triple jump with a leap of 45-08 1/2.

Teammate Terrence Walcott finished second by just two inches, jumping 45-06 1/2.

Senior co-captain Andy Derr claimed his first win of the season in the javelin with a toss of 188-09, while Bob Arnold finished second in the high jump in 6-09 3/4.

With the Big Ten Championships a month away, Warhurst stressed the need for his athletes to compete for victories and not just aim for good times, heights or distances.

"In the Big Ten meet, it becomes critical to learn to compete so you don"t panic," Warhurst said.

And even though he labeled the 3,000 meters "clown time," Warhurst said the speedsuits calmed his runners and lessened the "panic" they might have felt.

"Anything to keep their minds comfortable," Warhurst said.