Patrick Cochran

McDowell graduate Patrick Cochran, a junior at the University of Michigan, placed third among 22 competitors in the triple jump Saturday at the Spire Invitational in Geneva, Ohio. It was his first indoor meet of the season. Cochran’s personal-best distance of 49 feet 1 3⁄4 inches (14.98 meters) was the eighth-best mark in the Big Ten standings during the indoor season.

Cochran’s former McDowell teammate, John Dahlstrand, a sophomore at Akron, placed eighth in the Spire Invitational triple jump with an effort of 48-1⁄2.

Another former Erie high school standout, Cathedral Prep’s Joe Oduho, placed eighth among 28 competitors in the long jump at the Spire Invite. The freshman turned in a leap of 22-5 3⁄4.

Cochran and Michigan will return to the Spire Institute Feb. 22-23 for the Big Ten Championships. The Spire Institute is less than an hour’s drive from Erie on Interstate 90.