Big Ten Network : Track & Field Top Stories

Purdue assistant named Miami (OH) coach

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:07:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue assistant coach Kelly Phillips was named the head coach of the women's track and field program at Miami University on Thursday. Phillips has been responsible for the women's distance and cross country runners at Purdue for the last four seasons. "I am extremely happy for Coach Phillips," said Purdue head track and field and cross country coach Jack Warner. "We owe a lot of thanks to Coach Phillips for all her efforts in improving our women's distance area. Miami is getting a quality coach and a quality person, who brings a lot of energy and a tremendous work ethic in her new position. I can speak for the whole staff and team when I say that we are going to miss her and we all wish her the best of luck." Phillips helped produce several solid performers in her time at Purdue, including track and field conference scorers Ashlee Lengacher and Nan Hammel, and cross country standouts Katie Morrical and Kristin Phillips. Lengacher, Hammel and Phillips all qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships over the past two seasons, while Morrical and Phillips notched some of the top cross country times in school history.

Gall and Ofili capture individual national titles

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:02:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Senior co-captains Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) captured individual national championships to lead the No. 11-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team to a seventh-place team finish on Saturday (June 13) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, held at John McDonnell Field. Gall claimed her second consecutive crown in the 800-meter run and Ofili won her third straight title in the 100-meter hurdles. Sophomores Emily Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio/Woodmore) and Danielle Tauro (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) also competed in event finals for U-M; Pendleton took ninth in the discus and Tauro finished 12th in the 1,500-meter run. Gall took home her second straight national title in the 800-meter run with a career-best time of 2:00.80, the fastest collegiate time in the nation this season. Gall went to the front early and was in control of the pace from the start. She continued to run in the front of the field throughout before coming around the final turn and creating a gap between her and the rest of the competition. Gall claimed the victory by 0.57 seconds over Laura Hermanson of North Dakota State. In addition to being her second consecutive national championship in the 800 meters outdoors, Gall also claimed the 10th All-America honor of her extraordinary career in Maize and Blue. Ofili followed that up with her third straight 100-meter hurdle national championship with a winning time of 12.96 seconds in the final. Ofili was locked in a tight battle early with Moriam-Seun Adigun of Houston but began to pull away from Adigun, and the field, as she was the cleanest competitor over each of the hurdles. Kristi Castlin of Virginia Tech claimed second place with a time of 13.15 seconds. The victory for Ofili not only gave her three consecutive 100-meter hurdle national titles but also gives her five total national championships in her illustrious career at U-M. Ofili also won the last two indoor 60-meter hurdle national championships. Meanwhile, Pendleton claimed ninth place in the discus throw with a top throw of 160-11 (49.06m). Her best throw of competition was recorded with her fourth of six attempts in the finals. Pendleton bettered her performance from last season's NCAA Championships when she finished 14th. D'Andra Carter of Texas Tech won the discus with a throw of 182-6 (55.62m). In the final of the 1,500-meter run, Tauro, running in her first NCAA individual event final, finished 12th in a time of 4:24.30. Florida State's Susan Kuijken won the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:13.05. Michigan's seventh-place team finish is the third consecutive top-10 finish for the program at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Maize and Blue finished seventh last season and had a program-best third-place finish in 2007.

NCAA.com: Live NCAA Track & Field results

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Live results from the men's and women's events at the 2009 NCAA Track & Field Championships at Arkansas from June 10 to June 13. NCAA.com: Live NCAA Track & Field results .

Illinois earns best finish since 2002

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sparked by junior Angela Bizzarri's national championship in the 5,000m, the Illinois women's track and field team finished tied for 12th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a total of 18 points. It marked the program's best team finish since tying for 10th in 2002. Illinois' ranking was second among Big Ten teams only to Michigan, which finished seventh with 28 points and had two national champions. Texas A&M won the team title with 50 points. Bizzarri won the 5,000m title on Friday night with a time of 16:17.94, crushing the field by over eight seconds. She is the first Fighting Illini national champion since Perdita Felicien won the 100m hurdles title in 2003, and her win marks the seventh national title in program history. Bizzarri's first-place national finish is the first in Illinois history in a non-hurdling event. She joins the elite company of Felicien (100m hurdles champion in 2002 and 2003, 60m hurdles champion in 2002), Tonja Williams (400m hurdles champion in 1995 and 1996) and Illini head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey (400m hurdles champion in 1992) as the only national champions in school history. Bizzarri is easily the most decorated distance runner in Fighting Illini history as a seven-time All-American and six-time school record-holder. Not to be overshadowed, junior Aja Evans and senior Deserea Brown also were crowned All-Americans during the week. Evans placed fifth in the shot put on Thursday with a throw of 53-11 1/4, earning the third All-America accolade of her career and her first at the outdoor championships. Transferring to Illinois for her senior year from SIU-Edwardsville, Brown closed out an outstanding season for the Orange and Blue by placing fifth in the 400m hurdles on Friday with a time of 57.31. Competing in her signature event for the first time as a Division I athlete, Brown cruised to the final and ran a season-best time of 56.96 in event preliminaries. She now has an All-America accolade in the 400m hurdles to go along with her NCAA Mideast Regional and Big Ten titles in the same event. Along with the three All-Americans, six other Illini competed at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Sophomore Chantelle Groenewoud missed the final of the 3,000m steeplechase by one place, finishing 15th in preliminaries. Groenewoud timed a personal-best 10:17.37 in her race, ranking as the second-fastest performer in school history and improving on her steeplechase performance at last year's national meet by 31 seconds. Latoya Griffith also had a noteworthy performance, advancing to the semifinal of the 400m hurdles as a true freshman. Griffith timed 58.18 in the first round of the event, and closed out a successful debut season as an All-Big Ten and All-Region honoree. Sophomore Melissa Bates concluded her breakthrough season at the national meet as well, placing 22nd in the first round of the 400m (54.33). The Big Ten 400m champion, Bates also split 52 seconds in anchoring the Illini 4x400m relay of freshman Ashley Kelly, senior Omoye Ugiagbe and freshman Ryisha Boyd to a time of 3:36.36 and 14th place finish in prelims. Track and field action will continue over the summer for the Illini, as they will have competitors at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and Canadian Track & Field Championships in the upcoming weeks.

Gophers' Dorniden earns All-America honor

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Heather Dorniden finished eighth in the title race of the 800 meters in a time of 2 minutes, 4.44 seconds at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Dorniden did, however, add her Minnesota-best ninth All-America honor to her Golden Gopher track resume. Michigan's Geena Gall defended her national title in the 800 meters running a career-best time of 2:00.80. Dorniden and Gall ran the first lap in just under a minute, hitting the midway point shoulder to shoulder in a race that looked like it might become a battle between two of the best middle distance runners in Big Ten Conference history. As the field of runners hit the backstretch, Dorniden faltered slightly and the Gall took the lead for good. Dorniden battled but didn't have the extra gear today that we had witnessed in the past. Her time of 2:04.44 was her second-fastest of the season, but not fast enough to climb to the top of the list is such a talented 800-meter final field. ""At the 550-meter mark, I knew I just didn't have it today,"" said Dorniden. ""I was still going to give it all I had. There was no way I wasn't going to earn All-America honors in my last race."" The Minnesota women finish the NCAA Championships with 14.5 team points, just a half a point off last year's highest total in history. The Gophers finished 18th overall, the sixth top-20 finish in Minnesota history. Texas A&M captured the team title.

Miller joins elite group at NCAA Championships

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:54:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- It didn't come with the finish he was looking for, but Craig Miller moved himself into some elite company Saturday by closing out the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a ninth-place showing in the finals of the men's 1,500 meters. The finish made an All-American of Miller for the sixth time in his career and for the third-consecutive year in the 1,500, as he clocked a time of 3:41.31 to narrowly miss out on scoring. The junior earned his All-America status by virtue of being one of the top eight U.S.-born finishers in the race. Miller also was 12th in the event as a freshman in 2007 and finished fourth at last year's NCAA championships as a sophomore. He becomes the eighth member of the UW men's program to earn at least six All-America citations, and only two athletes – Chris Solinsky with 11 and Matt Tegenkamp with seven – have earned more. Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez won the championship with a time of 3:39.00 ahead of runner-up Garrett Heath of Stanford in 3:39.51 and Lee Emanuel of New Mexico in 3:39.66. Fernandez took the race out in 45.82 seconds for the first 300 meters, with Miller hanging back at 47.13. The lead grew as Fernandez, Heath, Dorian Ulrey of Arkansas and Emanuel went through 700 meters at 1:45.37. Miller kicked hard with about 1,000 meters to go and had the second-fastest split of the third lap at 57.94. When the lead pack broke away, however, Miller was too far back to mount a charge despite clocking a 56.22 for the final 400 meters. It was the second All-America finish of the year for Miller, who also finished runner-up to Emanuel in the indoor mile in March. Miller and teammate Jack Bolas have qualified for the upcoming USA Outdoor Championships in the 1,500, as has junior Ryan Gasper in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase and senior Gwen Jorgensen in the women's 5,000 meters. A final list of qualifiers accepted into the meet, which runs June 25-28 in Eugene, Ore. will be announced on June 22. Texas A&M swept the men's and women's team titles Saturday, with Oregon taking runner-up honors on both the men's and women's sides.

NIttany Lions finish with 10 All-America finishes at NCAAs

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:47:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.: June 13, 2009 – Sophomore Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) claimed All-America honors in the 800-meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Saturday at John McDonnell Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Foster's impressive eighth-place finish was the first top eight finish from a Nittany Lion half miler since 1987. Senior Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.) would turn in the second All-America performance of his career, finishing eighth in the triple jump and becoming the fifth Nittany Lion to earn an All-America finish in the event outdoors. The Lions capped off the meet with a fourth-place and All-America effort from the women's 4x400-meter relay, including redshirt junior Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), sophomore Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.), senior Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.), and junior Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.). The Nittany Lion women posted a top 15 finish in the team standings, winding up 14th with a total score of 17 points. Texas A&M took the team title with 50 points, Oregon followed in second with 46, while Arizona State finished third with 41, and Florida State finished off the top four with 40. The Aggies would also capture the men's title with 48 points, while Oregon, Florida and Florida State tied for runner-up honors with 46 points apiece. The Nittany Lion men were 62nd in the team race with two points. ""The Lions had an exciting ending run to the 2009 Championships, rounding out with 10 All-Americans and a top 15 finish for the women,"" said Director and Head Coach of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan. ""This championship the Lions demonstrated tenacious efforts by getting after things in the finals. It's great to see our men get some points on the board and continue our streak of All-Americans in the relay."" Foster was out well from the gun, settling in against an outstanding field. The sophomore was well in position for an All-America finish coming into the final turn, and held on throughout a furious finishing final 100-meters to finish in 1:47.81, and claim eighth place overall. Oregon's Andrew Wheating won the race in 1:46.21, nosing Texas' Tevan Everatt, who finishing in 1:46.27. Foster has had quite a national campaign, shaving a full two seconds off his personal best going into the championships. Foster's 1:46.78, which he clocked in the semi-finals, is the third-fastest mark in Penn State history. The sophomore joins an exclusive club of Nittany Lion All-Americans at 800-meters, including Randy Moore, who finished fourth in 1985, and Ray Levitre, who took runner-up honors in 1987. Entering the day as one of 12 athletes to qualify for the second day of action in the triple jump, Smith came through with a clutch third jump for the second day in-a-row, popping a leap of 52-7.25 (16.03) to move to eighth place and earn another three jumps in the nine-man final. Smith took three more attempts, including a solid leap of 51-10 (15.80), but wouldn't improve on his 52-7.25 effort, which would hold up for eighth overall. Smith moves up one spot from his 2008 finish, and joins former Penn State triple jump All-Americans Warren Rockwell (1961), Ricardo Hall (1990), and Antonio Davis (1993). Barber opened up with a solid first leg for the Lions, handing off to Greaves, who dashed to the pole and held her ground to keep her squad in fifth place behind Texas, LSU, Baylor, and Arizona State going into the second exchange. Hunter would quickly clip past the Sun Devils on the third carry and stuck to the heels of LSU. Dorr would then mount a furious anchor leg charging with the LSU and Baylor in an effort to reel in eventual winner Texas. Hunter would crank a sizzling 51.44 readout on the third leg – one of the fastest splits of the day -before Dorr closed in an impressive 52.27 on the anchor. Texas won the race in 3:28.51, leading LSU in second in 3:28.82, and Baylor in third in 3:29.52. The Nittany Lions would finish in a season-best 3:30.34, improving upon their preliminary time of 3:31.63 and bettering their standing as the second-fastest relay contingent in Penn State history. The Lions have created quite a reputation in the 4x400, claiming All-America finishes during the last two outdoor seasons, including a national championship in 2008. Indoors, the Nittany Lions have posted top five finishes in the mile relay for the past three years. Barber, who still has one season of outdoor eligibility remaining, has been a member of all five All-America relays, while Dorr and Hunter have been a part of three, and Greaves has run legs on two. ""Its been a demanding, productive, and astonishing year,"" continued Sullivan. ""I'm very proud of our seniors – Gayle Hunter and Clarence Smith - to round out their careers with stellar performances at the NCAA Championships. The University of Arkansas hosted an excellent competition and we're excited to be back in Fayetteville next indoor season. For now, we're onto Eugene and more great performances at the USATF Championships."" The Lions will conclude the 2009 campaign at the USATF Championships, set for June 25-28 in Eugene, Ore.

Buckeyes Murdaugh and See earn All-America honors

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:43:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – All-Americans Thomas Murdaugh and Jeff See closed out an excellent season for the Ohio State men's track and field team Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Murdaugh, a freshman from Dublin, Ohio, finished seventh in the 400m dash finals in a time of 45.90. The field set a fast pace early as Murdaugh sat near the back of the pack for most of the race – he closed strong to pass Texas A&M sophomore Bryan Miller (45.91) at the finish line. Jonathan Borlee, a freshman from Florida State, set a personal record (44.78) to take the title. Ohio State's freshman phenom ended his first year as a Buckeye in style. He finished second in the 400m at the Big Ten indoor and outdoor meets, competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships and anchored the Buckeyes' 4x400m relay victories at the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships. See finished eighth in the finals of the 1500m in a time of 3:41.18. Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez led wire-to-wire, claiming the championship in a time of 3:39.00. See, the fifth-place finisher in the 1500m at the 2008 NCAA Championships, set a personal record of 3:40.46 during Thursday's semifinal action, the second-best time in school history. The Buckeyes finished in a tie for 56th overall with three points, two from Murdaugh and one from See. The Big Ten runner-up during the outdoor season, Ohio State witnessed its highest finish at the Big Ten finals since 2001, while also taking fourth at the indoor championship. Five student-athletes -- Murdaugh, See, Patrick Woods, Patrick Whalen and Daniel White -- all represented the Scarlet and Gray in Fayetteville.

MSU freshman Pugh comes up just short

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman thrower Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich.) was the only Spartan to compete during day two of the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas at John McDonnell Stadium on Thursday. Pugh placed 14th overall in the men's discus throw, registering a toss of 55.72m (182-10) in his final of three throws. Although he missed qualifying for the event finals by only two spots, Pugh placed the highest of any freshman in the event and threw better than the mark that won him the Big Ten title. "All in all, Lonnie had a great freshman season and he has learned how to be a really good competitor," director of track & field Walt Drenth said. "A lot of freshman can come into this meet and not do well at all. They can get caught up in the surroundings and not do really well but he threw really well. He just missed scoring for us today, but there is not doubt in my mind that he will be back at nationals and be a scorer for us." Despite not advancing to the finals, Pugh had one of the most successful freshman seasons in program history. He became the first Spartan thrower ever to win a Big Ten Championship on the men's side during the outdoor season. He shattered the school record in the event with a toss of 58.65m (192-5) and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors. Pugh will compete at the Junior National Championships this summer. The Spartans will resume competition at the NCAA Championships on Friday as four competitors will partake in their respective events. Nicole Bush (Wyoming, Mich.) will compete in the 3,000m steeplechase finals after running the fastest time in the preliminary heats of the event. Bush will run at 7:40 p.m. (ET) while senior Lisa Senakiewich (Davison, Mich.) will run in the 5,000m run finals at 9:40 p.m. (ET). Sprinter Jeremy Orr (Detroit, Mich.) will also compete in the 400m dash semifinals at 8:25 p.m. (ET). Each event will can be seen live on CBS College Sports. For a complete recap of tomorrow's action, check back with www.msuspartans.com

Big Ten standouts prep for NCAA Championships

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Big Ten men's and women's track and field athletes are headed to the University of Arkansas this week for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, held Wednesday-Saturday. Read the schools' preview stories below: ILLINOIS: The Illini women's track and field team will be represented by eight athletes at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. from June 10-13 at Arkansas' John McDonnell Field. Illinois' entrants are highlighted by three athletes who rank among the nation's top-10 in their respective events. Junior Angela Bizzarri enters the meet as the top seed in the 5,000m, and will look to earn the seventh All-America accolade of her career. Senior Deserea Brown is ranked sixth in the nation in the 400m hurdles, while junior Aja Evans is seeded fifth in the shot put and will aim for her third All-America accolade in the event. The Orange and Blue will also be represented by sophomore Melissa Bates in the 400m, freshman Latoya Griffith in the 400m hurdles, sophomore Chantelle Groenewoud in the 3,000m steeplechase and the 4x400m relay (Brown, Omoye Ugiagbe, Ryisha Boyd, Bates). Illinois opens competition on Wednesday with Evans in the qualifying round of the shot put, the first round of the 400m hurdles and the semifinals of the steeplechase and 5,000m. Three athletes represent the Illinois men's track and field team this week at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. from June 10-13 at Arkansas' John McDonnell Field. Freshman Andrew Riley looks to earn his second All-America accolade of the 2009 season after taking sixth in the 60m hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Riley heads into outdoor nationals ranked eighth in the 110m hurdles. Illinois will also compete junior Greg Shroka in the high jump and senior Andrew Zollner in the pole vault, as both are coming off career-best performances at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships. Zollner is competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the third straight year, while this is Shroka's first appearance. Illinois opens competition on Wednesday with Shroka and Zollner competing in the qualifying round of their event. Riley will run the first round of the 110m hurdles on Thursday. INDIANA: Seven Hoosiers head to Fayetteville, Ark., this week for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The meet will take place over four days, starting on Wednesday, June 10, and concluding on Saturday, June 13. The IU participants will begin action on Wednesday in qualifying-round action. Indiana advances seven to the national meet for the second consecutive year. The Hoosiers will look to build upon the 2008 performance that saw two IU student-athletes earn All-America honors. The men's program took home the NCAA team title in 1932. The women have finished as high as fifth in 1989 and have placed in the top 10 six times. The women will look to score at the NCAA outdoor meet for the first time since 2003. For the women's team, juniors Molly Beckwith, Wendi Robinson, Vera Neuenswander and Ashley Rhoades, senior Tiffany Howard and sophomore Sarah Pease will don the cream and crimson. On the men's side, freshman Derek Drouin will look to build on his NCAA runner-up finish indoors. Beckwith enters the meet with the highest seeding, as she has the nation's third-best time this season in the 800 meters. Neuenswander has the sixth-best mark in the pole vault. IOWA: Six Hawkeyes are set to compete at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week in Fayetteville, AR. Events are scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. All events will be held at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Field. Following are Iowa's entered competitors, their top mark in that event this season and where that mark ranks among the NCAA field: Adam Hairston - 800 Meters - 1:48.87 - 23rd John Hickey - Shot Put - 60-1 3/4 (18.33) - 19th Ray Varner - 400-M Hurdles - 50.54 - 15th Karessa Farley - 100-M Hurdles - 13.34 - 21st Betsy Flood - 1,500 Meters - 4:24.91 - 27th Renee White - Triple Jump - 43-10 3/4 (13.38) - 10th MICHIGAN: The University of Michigan men's track and field team will send a quartet of athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships next Wednesday through Saturday at John McDonnell Field on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Ark. Senior Adam Harris, senior/junior Lex Williams, fifth-year senior Dan Harmsen and sophomore Carl Buchanon will all look to score for the Wolverines at the four-day meet. The Michigan women send six athletes -- seniors Geena Gall, Tiffany Ofili, Casey Taylor and Bettie Wade along with sophomores Emily Pendleton and Danielle Tauro. Last season, the Maize and Blue scored 29 points to earn a seventh-place finish. Michigan's best finish came in 2007 when the Wolverines earned third place with 36 points. MICHIGAN STATE: The Michigan State track & field team has had arguably its best overall season, both indoor and outdoor, since director of track & field Walt Drenth took over the program in 2006. The hard work and dedication of the coaching staff and the student-athletes culminated at the NCAA Mideast Regional last weekend as the Spartans qualified six student-athletes - at least one from every area of competition - for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. The six qualifying student-athletes - Nicole Bush, Kyron Foster, Jeremy Orr, Sarah Price, Lonnie Pugh and Lisa Senakiewich - are the most for the Spartans since Drenth has been at the helm of the program. MINNESOTA: Minnesota had three athletes - Aaron Studt, Hassan Mead and Chris Rombough - earn All-America honors and combine for 15 points to tie for 14th place overall in the team standings at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships. With Studt, Mead and Rombough among the Gopher contingent at the outdoor meet, Minnesota seems poised to earn its second top-20 finish of the season. Five of six Gophers headed for the NCAAs have made at least one previous track championships appearance. Add cross country into the picture and that average improves to 100 percent with that important experience on their resumes. Chris Rombough is the most veteran of the group having participated in four NCAA Cross Country and three NCAA Track Championships. Rombough is the first three-time cross country All-American in Minnesota history. OHIO STATE: Five members of the Ohio State women's track and field team will represent the Buckeyes at the 2009 NCAA Track and Field Championships June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Letecia Wright (100m Hurdles) is lone individual competitor, while Latoya Sanderson, Ashley Caldwell, Ayrizanna Favours and Shaniqua McGinnis will compete in the 4x400m relay. The Ohio State men's team also sends five competitors to the NCAA Championships, with athletes in running (400m, 800, 1500m), field (shot put) and multi-events (decathlon) for the first time in several seasons. Thomas Murdaugh (400m Dash), Daniel White (800m Run), Jeff See (1500m Run), Patrick Whalen (Shot Put) and Patrick Woods (Decathlon) PENN STATE: Dawn Dorr and Shavon GReaves will lead the Lions in the sprints, after both athletes received automatic-qualifying bids at the NCAA East Regional Championships in Greensboro, N.C.. Dorr will compete in the 400-meter hurdles for the second straight year and enters the competition with the fifth-fastest seed time. Dorr's 56.91, which she clocked to take second at regionals, is also a Penn State record. Greaves will run the 200, after capturing fifth place and automatic-qualifying status at the regional. Also making the trip will be redshirt junior Aleesha Barber, who received an at-large bid in the 100-meter hurdles, thanks to her season-best 13.41. Dorr, Greaves, and Barber, along with senior Gayle Hunter will also compete in the 4x400-meter relay, an event in which the Lions are defending champions. The Penn State quartet sprinted to a season-best 3:33.57 last weekend, claiming top honors in the region for the second-straight year. Hunter will be one of the competition's busiest athletes as always, as she will also compete in the heptathlon and open long jump. Hunter posted an automatic-qualifying and school-record 5730 at the Big Ten Championships, earning a spot in the multi-events. Senior Clarence Smith will represent the Lion horizontal jumpers on the men's side, qualifying for the triple jump competition with a lifetime-best 53-1.50 (16.19) – good for third in the east regional field. Smith will also be making his second-career appearance at the national championships after earning All-America honors as a junior in 2008. Making the NCAA field for the fourth time in his career will be redshirt junior Ryan Fritz, who was accepted into the meet as an at-large selection. Fritz – already a three-time NCAA All-American - will enter the competition with a season-best 7-1 (2.16) clearance in the high jump. Senior John Vellenoweth will be one of the Lions' first-time qualifiers, making an appearance in the pole vault, thanks to an at-large bid. Vellenoweth has topped out at 17-5.50 (5.32) this season, and finished sixth at the regional championships. Back on the track, sophomore Ryan Foster has qualified individually for the first time, after running on the Lions' NCAA distance medley relay indoors. Foster – the Big Ten Champion indoors and outdoors - posted a fourth-place finish in the 800-meters at the NCAA Regional – good for an automatic-qualifying spot. Another of the Lions' seasoned veterans is junior Bridget Franek, who is coming off her second-consecutive regional title in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Franek's school-record 9:43.57 is ranked third in the NCAA steeplechase. Franek, who was the NCAA bronze-medalist in the steeplechase as a sophomore, is already a five-time NCAA All-American. Also boasting her second-career regional victory is sophomore Karlee McQuillen, who took top honors in the javelin last weekend. McQuillen was an All-American in the event as a freshman in 2008. Classmate Kim Hanslovan will also compete in the javelin after a sixth-place finish at the regional meet and an at-large bid. PURDUE: The Purdue men's and women's track and field teams head to the University of Arkansas this week for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Boilermakers have six qualifiers in tow, taking four male athletes and a pair of females to compete in the national field. Senior Kara Patterson headlines the Boilermakers' NCAA roster, carrying the No. 1 mark in the nation in the women's javelin this season into competition. Fresh off her fourth career NCAA Mideast Regional title, she led the nation all season with her opening mark of 58.41 meters (191-08) at the Arizona State Invitational, but bettered that throw at the regional championship, tossing it 58.56 meters (192-01). Stacey Wannemacher is set for her third straight NCAA Outdoor Championship appearance in the women's shot put, entering this year's meet with the nation's 13th-best throw. Wannemacher broke her own Purdue outdoor record in the event twice this season, extending the mark to 16.25 meters (53-03.75) at the Georgia Spec Towns National Team Invitational on April 11, and topping out at 16.35 meters (53-07.75) at the Big Ten Championships on May 16. All four of the Purdue men's qualifiers are headed back to the national championships as junior Eric Sparks is headed to his third straight NCAA event, while senior Ben Harpenau, junior Adetayo Adesanya and sophomore Josh Hembrough all have advanced for the second consecutive time. Sparks is tied for the No. 11 mark in the men's pole vault this season, clearing a season-best 5.36 meters (17-07.00) to win his first career NCAA Mideast Regional Championship. He won his second consecutive Big Ten Championship on May 17, soaring over 5.32 meters (17-05.50) on his first attempt, and has his eyes set on his first NCAA Championship finals appearance. The pole vault preliminaries are scheduled for Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., with the finals following Friday at 3:45 p.m. WISCONSIN: Preview to follow

Wolverine Ofili hurdles her way to NCAA Championship

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Kara Lentz talks with Tiffany Ofili about competing in the NCAA Track and Field Championship and being selected as one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award for Track and Field.

NCAA hands out at-large berths to Championships

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 11:04:00 +0000

The NCAA handed out at-large berths to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held June 10-13, on Tuesday afternoon. Read the releases below: ILLINI DUO, 4x400m RELAY RECEIVE AT-LARGE BIDS The Illinois women's track and field team will have a total of eight athletes competing in six events at next week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, as the list of accepted entries for the national meet was released by the NCAA on Tuesday. Junior Aja Evans, sophomore Melissa Bates and the Illini 4x400m relay got into the championships field as at-large selections due to their season-best performances. Evans will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second-straight year in the shot put, where she ranks fifth in the country with a season-best throw of 54 feet, 9 ¼ inches (16.69m). The 4x400m relay of senior Deserea Brown, senior Omoye Ugiagbe, freshman Ryisha Boyd and Bates ran a season-best time of 3:34.75 at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships last weekend, fast enough to rank 15th in the country and receive a berth into nationals. Bates also will run the 400 meters at the NCAA Championships, where she ranks 24th with a personal-best time of 53.39 from the Big Ten Championships. The Illini's at-large selections into nationals are in addition to the four athletes who automatically qualified by finishing in the top-five in their respective event at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships. Junior Angela Bizzarri (5,000m) and Brown (400m hurdles) were crowned regional champions, while freshman Latoya Griffith took third in the 400m hurdles and sophomore Chantelle Groenewoud was fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase to automatically qualify as well. The NCAA Outdoor Championships are hosted by Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., running Wednesday, June 10 through Saturday, June 13. GOPHER MAN, WOMAN EARN AT-LARGE BIDS Golden Gopher sophomore Nikki Swenson was awarded an at-large berth to compete in the 800-meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, as the NCAA filled its national meet field by announcing at-large invitations on Tuesday. Minnesota will have six student-athletes compete at the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas on June 10-13. Swenson will join teammate Heather Dorniden, an eight-time All-American, in the field of the 800 meters. Other Gophers headed to the NCAA meet are Liz Roehrig (heptathlon), Alicia Rue (pole vault), Amy Laskowske (10,000 meters) and Elizabeth Yetzer (1,500 meters). The Minnesota men's track & field team will travel six student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships next week, this after junior Chris Rombough received an at-large berth in the 5,000-meter run Tuesday. Rombough joins five teammates who had solidified berths to the national meet earlier, either by their Midwest Region Championships performance or in-season performance in the case of the decathlon. Returning All-American Hassan Mead leads the Golden Gopher contingent and will also compete in the 5,000 meters. Other Gophers heading to the NCAAs are Aaron Studt (shot put), R.J. McGinnis (decathlon), Matt Fisher (high jump) and Ben Blankenship (1,500 meters). The NCAA Championships will be hosted by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., on June 10-13. PURDUE DUO RECEIVES AT-LARGE BIDS WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue juniors Adetayo Adesanya and Stacey Wannemacher received at-large bids to the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, giving the Boilermakers' track and field teams a total of six national qualifiers. Adesanya made the national field in the men's high jump, while Wannemacher qualified in the women's shot put. Both Boilermakers were unable to score top-five finishes at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships last weekend, but did place in the top-12 to remain eligible for the national meet. Adesanya earned his national spot with his season-best mark of 2.16 meters (7-01.00), which was tied for 18th in the nation after the regional competitions, while Wannemacher's bid came on the strength of her school record toss of 16.35 meters (53-07.75), good for 13th on the final national qualifying list. Purdue's six NCAA qualifiers are all repeat offenders as senior Kara Patterson heads to her fourth NCAA Outdoor Championship, Wannemacher and fellow junior Eric Sparks are qualified for their third career national meet, while Adesanya, senior Ben Harpenau and sophomore Josh Hembrough advance to their second straight. The 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at John McDonnell Stadium next Thursday-through-Sunday, June 10-13. UW'S LARKIN TO JOIN SIX BADGERS AT CHAMPIONSHIPS Junior Nate Larkin became the seventh member of the Wisconsin men's track and field team to qualify for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Tuesday, earning an at-large selection for the national championship meet. Larkin, a first-time NCAA outdoor qualifier, was added to the field in the 110-meter hurdles after finishing sixth at the NCAA Mideast Regional last weekend. His season-best time of 13.89 seconds ranks him 24th nationally and made him the fourth of six athletes who earned at-large berths. Those selections fill out a 26-competitor field that began with the 20 who earned automatic qualification based on top-five finishes in one of the four NCAA regional meets held last weekend. Larkin, who finished as Big Ten Conference runner-up in the 110 hurdles this season, also was a qualifier for the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. As expected, junior Jack Bolas also was an at-large selection in the 1,500 meters based on the time of 3:37.64 that ranks him fourth in the country. Larkin and Bolas join the Badgers' automatic qualifiers for the championships, sophomore Zach Beth (800 meters), junior Craig Miller (1,500 meters), junior Ryan Gasper (3,000-meter steeplechase), sophomore Mickey DeFilippo (pole vault) and sophomore Robert Dehn (javelin). The UW women's team did not earn any at-large berths to the championships. Senior Gwen Jorgensen, in the 5,000 meters, and junior Hanna Grinaker, in the 10,000 meters, will represent the Badgers on the women's side. The NCAA Outdoor Championships are set for June 10-13 at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Ark.

OSU's Wright, 4x400 team advances to Championships

Sat, 30 May 2009 23:19:00 +0000

The Ohio State men's track and field team qualified three more athletes for the 2009 NCAA Track and Field Championships with an overall balanced effort that included one distance, one middle distance runner and one sprinter. Sophomore Daniel White qualified for the NCAA's with his impressive fifth-place showing in the 800m run. White ran a PR time of 1:49.34 and held off a tough field down the final stretch to earn the right to represent Ohio State in two weeks in Fayetteville. Senior All-American Jeff See will once again represent the Buckeyes at the NCAA championships in the 1500m after his fifth-place run in a time of 3:49.73. See finished fifth overall in the event last season. Joining White and See in two weeks will be freshman Thomas Murdaugh who finished fourth in the 400m in a PR time of 45.779, just behind senior Jeremy Orr of Michigan State at 45.777. Those two times were the top two in the Big Ten this season. Murdaugh also represented Ohio State in the 400 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The Big Ten champion 4x400 team of Curtis Leuenberger, Stephen Robinson, Matt Comer and Thomas Murdaugh came in 10th overall with a time of 3:08.95. Freshman Thomas Davis was 24th in the hammer throw with a toss of 54.98m. Davis' season-best was 56.92m at the Jesse Owens Classic, the 11th best in the Big Ten this season. In the pole vault, Bryan Chard finished 20th, clearing 4.91m. His best vault was 5.05m at the Jesse Owens. Three athletes represented the Buckeyes in the 3000m steeplechase. Adam Green finished with a personal-best time of 8:59.49 to finish ninth overall. Cory Leslie and Christopher Linger finished 11th and 17th overall with times of 9:00.72 and 9:09.03, respectively. Senior Patrick Whalen finished 15th overall in the discus with a toss of 52.04m. Patrick Woods is expected to make the championship field in the decathlon and Whalen is a strong candidate to earn a big in the shot put. The 2009 NCAA Championships are held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Wright, 4x400 Relay Qualify for NCAA Championships The Ohio State women's track and field team completed action Saturday at the 2009 NCAA Mideast Regionals in Louisville, Ky. The Buckeyes qualified a total of five athletes in two events to the NCAA Championships in two weeks in Fayetteville, Ark. At-large berths will be announced early next week. The Big Ten champion 4x400 relay team of freshman Latoya Sanderson, junior Ashley Caldwell, senior Arianna Favours and freshman anchor leg Shaniqua McGinnis ran a season-best time and the second-fastest time in school history with their third-place finish of 3:33.96, besting their previous top time of the year of 3:35.98 set at the Jesse Owens Classic earlier this month. Earlier in the day, sophomore Letecia Wright qualified for the NCAA championships with a PR time of 13.28 in the 100 hurdles to finish fourth overall. Her time also is the second-best in the Big Ten this season, behind only senior All-American Tiffany Ofili of Michigan. Sophomore distance runner Jordan Jennewine was 10th in the finals of the 1500m run with a time of 4:32.99. Jennewine enjoyed a stellar outdoor season, setting a school record in the 1500 along the way (4:23.37) at the Big Ten championships. In the javelin, Maggie Mullen, who had been under the weather in the days leading up to the regionals, capped off a great freshman season with a 19th place throw of 39.09. Mullen set a school record this season with her throw of 46.64m at the Drake Relays in April, the fourth best mark in the Big Ten this season. Wright, Sanderson, Caldwell, Favours and McGinnis will be back in action in two weeks at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville June 10-13.

7 Illini impress on way to Championships

Sat, 30 May 2009 23:15:00 +0000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Illinois men's track and field team qualified three individuals for the NCAA Outdoor Championships this weekend at the NCAA Regionals in Louisville, Ky. The outdoor championships are set for June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Joining Friday's high jump qualifying performance by Greg Shroka, senior Andrew Zollner finished second in the pole vault and freshman Andrew Riley placed second in the 110-meter hurdles, both good enough to make the national meet. As a team, the Illini placed 12th overall and fourth among Big Ten teams in the field. "I am very pleased with the overall meet performance by the team," head coach Wayne Angel said. "Having three of our athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships makes Illinois look very good in the national field. I was impressed by the determination the team showed this weekend. In addition to the three individuals we qualified, we still have an outside chance with our mile relay." The Illini had participants in four event finals on Saturday, the second day of the two-day meet. Zollner saved his best performance of the season for when it counted, besting his previous season high of 5.05m with a 5.36m clearance. Riley, who ranks ninth nationally in the 110-meter hurdles, just missed his season best of 13.72 with his time of 13.74. At the regionals, the top-5 finishers in each individual meet and top-3 in relay events automatically qualify and additional times will be added on Monday. The 4x400-meter relay team of Yawusa Kinda, Gary Miller, Cody Wisslead and Daniel Jones placed 13th with a time of 3:09.92, their fifth-best time of the season. They will wait for their fate until the complete NCAA Championships field to be announced. Sophomore Matt McHugh took 21st with a throw of 56.24m (184-06) in the hammer to end his season in the event. Quartet of Illini women advance to Championships LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four University of Illinois women's track and field athletes finished in the top 5 in their respective events in Louisville at the Regional Meet this weekend to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships set for June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. After Angela Bizzarri won the 5,000-meters on Friday, three additional teammates followed her lead with qualifying finishes. A pair of newcomers to the roster this season excelled in the 400-meter hurdles as senior Deserea Brown won the event and freshman Latoya Griffith took third. Sophomore Chantelle Groenewoud placed fourth in the steeplechase to round out the qualifiers for the Illini. As a team, the Illini took fourth in the field of 29 teams with 43 points, and second among the seven Big Ten teams in attendance. "It was a great weekend," said head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey. "We competed well as a team and finished in top four in our region. I think that is the best we have done during my time at Illinois. Angela (Bizzarri) winning two years in a row in the 5,000 is outstanding, but overall all the women competed really well and that was the key. Deserea Brown coming from division II to division I and performing the way she did was huge for her and she has been a great role model for Latoya (Griffith). It helps when you have a teammate in your same events to help push you along." In addition to the four individuals qualified, the Illini could see four more added on Monday when the entire NCAA field is announced. Junior Aja Evans took seventh in the shot put, two places out of automatic advancement, with 16.02m (52-06.75) throw. She is ranked sixth in the nation in the event. The 4x400 relay team of Brown, Omoye Ugiagbe, Ryisha Boyd and Melissa Bates bested their regional six seed with their fifth-place finish and a new season-best time of 3:34.69. Bates, the sophomore Big Ten champion in the 400 meters, also has a shot in the event after finishing seventh with a time of 54.59.

Blankenship leads the way for Minnesota

Sat, 30 May 2009 23:08:00 +0000

Sophomore Ben Blankenship earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships in the 1,500-meter run on Saturday to highlight the Golden Gopher men's track team's performance at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships in Norman, Okla. Blankenship joins teammates Hassan Mead (5,000 meters), Matt Fisher (high jump) and Aaron Studt (shot put) headed to the NCAA meet at the University of Arkansas on June 10-13. Blankenship finished second in the 1,500 meters with a career-best time of 3 minutes, 45.37 seconds. Going into the bell lap, Blankenship and Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez broke away from the pack. Blankenship dashed to the lead but couldn't shake Fernandez, who won the NCAA indoor title in the mile earlier this season. Fernandez passed Blankenship with 200 meters to go and went on to win in a time of 3:43.09. Andy Richardson finished the race in 11th place with a time of 3:54.48. Neither of the Gopher hammer throwers was able to pop a big enough throw to advance to the final in the event. Studt finished 13th with a throw of 184-0, while Andy Bastian landed a throw of 180-1 for 15th. Bastian completes his Golden Gopher career ranked third all-time in the hammer with a throw of 197-5 from the 2007 season. Two Gophers among the 26 entrants in the lengthy pole vault competition. Joe Plencner and Brock Spandl both cleared 16-7 1/4. Plencner placed eighth taking missed attempts into account. Spandl finished in a tie for 15th. The Gophers had two throwers compete in the men's discus. Jerry Netland finished 15th with a throw of 169-11, while Trey Davis was 18th with a toss of 159-11. Minnesota's final competitor of this Midwest Region meet just crossed the finish line. Senior Ben Puhl placed 14th with a time of 9:19.87. Minnesota finished seventh in the team standings with 33.25 points. Texas A&M won the regional title with 98 points. A total of 33 teams scored. Two more Gopher women advance Heather Dorniden and Elizabeth Yetzer earned NCAA automatic berths at the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Saturday in Norman, Okla. Minnesota will be represented by five athletes at the national meet hosted by the University of Arkansas on June 10-13. Dorniden was denied her third consecutive Midwest Region title in the 800 meters but the Golden Gopher All-American still have what she came to Norman for – an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. Dorniden ran a time of 2:05.70 for second place a tenth of a second behind North Dakota State senior Laura Hermanson (2:05.60). Dorniden took the lead from the opening gun and battled with Hermanson throughout. The talent pair ran most of the last lap shoulder-to-shoulder before Hermanson made a push in the final 100 meters. Nikki Swenson also scored points for the Gophers in the event with a seventh-place finish in a time of 2:11.72. Yetzer finished second in the 1,500-meter run with a career-best time of 4:24.20 to earn her ticket into the national meet. She took the lead in the race with a lap to go but was passed by Texas Tech's Gladys Kipsang on the backstretch. Yetzer hung with Kipsang the rest of the race, finishing a meter and a half second behind the winner. Ladia Albertson-Junkans competed in the race and posted a time of 4:38.82. Liz Roehrig enjoyed a great day in the high jump and placed third, grabbing an NCAA Championships qualifier, clearing a height of 5-11 1/4. That height matches her season high. She had three attempts at the height of 6-0 1/4, which would have bettered her own school record by a quarter on an inch. Texas' Destinee Hooker won with a height of 6-3 1/4, then attempt three jumps at an NCAA record height of 6-7. Roehrig will have the choice of whether to compete in the open high jump at the NCAA Championships. She is ranked second nationally in the heptathlon and may choose to forego the open high jump competition to concentrate on her specialty. The Gophers' 4x100-meter relay bought the baton around the track in a season-best time of 45.40 seconds to finish seventh in the event. The foursome of Chimerem Okoroji, Nyoka Giles, Chioma Omeoga and Adrienne Thomas clocked the third-fastest time in school history. Jamie Cheever ran her final track competition of her Gopher career placing 15th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:59.81. DeAnne Hahn landed a top throw of 46-9 1/2 in the women's shot put but did not advance to the final. She also competed in the hammer throw on Friday. Minnesota scored 38.50 points to finish sixth of 34 teams that scored in the Midwest Regional meet. Texas A&M cruised to the team title with 96 points. The five Golden Gophers headed for the NCAA meet are Dorniden (800m), Yetzer (1,500m), Roehrig (heptathlon), Amy Laskowske (10,000m) and Alicia Rue (pole vault).

Patterson wins 4th regional crown

Sat, 30 May 2009 23:04:00 +0000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Purdue senior Kara Patterson won her fourth career NCAA Mideast Regional Championship in the women's javelin to lead the Boilermakers' men's and women's track and field teams at the University of Louisville on Saturday. The men finished with a team score of 24 points to take 10th place, while the women compiled 14 points to tie for 17th. Patterson increased her NCAA lead in the event, hurling a season-best mark of 58.56 (192-01). The victory not only set the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship and Cardinal Park record, but marked the fifth consecutive regional championship in the event for the Boilermakers, dating to Patterson's first championship in 2006. She also earns an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she'll attempt to capture her first national title. Purdue junior Eric Sparks grabbed a meet title in the men's pole vault, becoming the fifth Boilermaker to ever win an NCAA Mideast Regional Championship and becoming the second automatic qualifier for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Sparks cleared 5.36 meters (17-07.00) and every bar preceding it on his first attempt, running away with the win. Senior Ben Pax and sophomore Chris Thoman wrapped up their season in the pole vault as Pax finished 12th with a mark of 5.06 meters (16-07.25), while Thoman was unable to clear a height. Senior Ben Harpenau locked up his second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships in the men's hammer throw, earning an automatic bid with a third-place showing. Harpenau launched a career-best 64.52 meters (211-08) on his third attempt of the day, extending his top mark for a second straight meet. Sophomore Josh Hembrough grabbed an automatic bid to nationals as well, earning fourth place in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.92. This marks Hembrough's third consecutive national qualification as he advanced to the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships and earned NCAA All-America honors in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2009 NCAA indoor meet. Junior Stacey Wannemacher scored a team point for the Purdue women in the shot put, capturing eighth place with a mark of 15.94 meters (52-03.75). While unable to earn an automatic bid, Wannemacher will likely earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships as she entered the weekend with the nation's 12th-best mark. Freshman teammate Terri Anderson had a solid showing as well, throwing 15.39 meters (50-06.00) to finish 12th overall. Anderson remains eligible for an at-large bid, but will have a tough time earning one as she entered the regional meet ranked 35th in the nation. Junior Nkeiru Ugwoaba was just off the bubble for the NCAA Championships after her 13th-place effort in the triple jump on Saturday. Her mark of 12.32 (40-05.00) left her just shy of a position for an at-large bid as she came into the weekend tied for the No. 25 spot in the country. The Boilermakers wrapped up the regional championships with four automatic NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifiers and await official word of at-large bids, which will be announced by the NCAA on Tuesday at approximately 3 p.m. (EST).

Four Spartans qualify for NCAA Championships

Sat, 30 May 2009 22:58:00 +0000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One day after senior Lisa Senakiewich (Davison, Mich.) qualified for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the women's 5,000m run, the Michigan State track & field program saw four additional student-athletes qualify for nationals after their performances at the final day of the NCAA Mideast Regional, held at Cardinal Stadium on the campus of Louisville on Saturday. Joining Senakiewich will be seniors Nicole Bush (Wyoming, Mich.), Sarah Price (Mankato, Minn.) and Jeremy Orr (Detroit, Mich.), and freshman Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich.). The five automatic qualifiers are the most for director of track & field Walt Drenth in his three seasons at Michigan State. "I felt that from the beginning of the meet, we really competed very well," Drenth commented. "It really is an exhilarating sign for the program to qualify the number of athletes that we did. The goal of this meet is to earn a spot at nationals, and I thought we did a good job of giving everything that we had in order to get there." Bush was the highlight of the day as she claimed the 3,000m steeplechase title with a Cardinal Park record of 9:57.66, finishing nearly 16 seconds faster than the next closest competitor, Sarah Pease of Indiana. Bush has won every steeplechase race that she has participated in this season and will be making her third appearance at the NCAA Championships. Price finished just behind Pease in third place with a time of 10:23.20, earning the senior her second-consecutive trip to nationals in the event. Bush and Price teamed to score 16 points for the Spartan women in the event, who finished in ninth place out of 39 teams. Orr placed third in the 400m dash with a personal-best time of 45.78, which is also a team-best for the Spartans this season. Orr will be making his second trip to the national championships and first since 2006 when he qualified in the 400m dash as well. Pugh will be making his first trip to the NCAAs as he placed fifth in the discus throw after he shattered his own school record with a toss of 58.65m (192-5). Pugh and Orr combined to score 10 points for the men in the team competition, who placed 21st out of 42 teams. Sophomore pole vaulter Logan Lynch (Lambertville, Mich.) was another high-point for the Spartans at the two-day competition. Lynch turned in the second-best vault of his career, posting a mark of 5.06m (16-7 ¼) en-route to a ninth-place finish. After his ninth-place finish at the regional and his career-best vault of 5.20m (17-0 ¾) at the Drake Relays earlier this season, Lynch could still earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Kyron Foster (Deltona, Fla.) also kept his chances for an at-large bid to nationals alive after placing 12th in the triple jump with a jump of 15.18m (49-9 ¾). Coming into the meet, Foster ranked 17th in the nation in the event and after placing 12th at the regional, Foster will need an at-large berth for a chance to qualify for nationals. The throwers kept things going for the men in the hammer throw as both Anthony Agrusa (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and Kyle Strotbaum (Grosse Ile, Mich.) set personal-bests in the event with Agrusa shattering the school record. Agrusa finished 12th overall with a throw of 59.21m (194-3), while Strotbaum placed right behind him in 13th after heaving 58.75m (192-9). Sophomore Ashley Lawrence (Troy, Mich.) was the final competitor to finish for the Spartans on the day. She placed third in the shot put with a throw of 14.61m (47-11 ¼), her third-best throw of the season. The at-large bids to the NCAA Championships will be announced Monday at 5 p.m. The 2009 NCAA National Outdoor Championships will be held on 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. For all the latest on MSU track & field, check back with www.msuspartans.com.

Illiniois opens up 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships

Fri, 29 May 2009 21:11:00 +0000

MEN'S RESULTS LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior Greg Shroka became the first Illini men's track and field athlete to qualify for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, doing so by placing fourth in the high jump at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships Friday at Louisville's Cardinal Park. The top five finishers in each individual event in each of the four regional meets throughout the country receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, scheduled for June 10-13. Shroka cleared 7 feet, 1 inch (2.16m) in his second attempt on Friday, which is the best high jump performance of his career and ranks as the second-best performance in Illinois history to Gail Olson's school record of 7-3 1/2. The junior will also be the first Illini to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the high jump since Olson in 1979. "Greg has been striving for nationals his whole career and now that it's a reality I couldn't be happier for him," Head Coach Wayne Angel said. "Watching him jump today brought back memories of my old teammate, Gail Olson. Going 7-1 and moving into second on the all-time list is very exciting and I expect great things from Greg at NCAAs. Going to Fayetteville to compete with the best of the best shows that his hard work has paid off and will have him great experience for the future." Shroka was able to avenge his performance at last year's regional championships, when he tied for fifth in the high jump and lost in a jump-off for the final automatic berth into nationals. Indiana freshman Derek Drouin was crowned this year's NCAA Mideast Regional high jump champion with a leap of 7-3 1/4. Freshman Andrew Riley qualified for tomorrow's final in the 110m hurdles, timing 14.09 to run the sixth-best time in preliminaries. LSU freshman Barrett Nugent had the fastest trials time, running 13.81. Riley is currently ranked ninth in the NCAA in the 110m hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.61, and should receive a bid to nationals no matter what happens in the event final, scheduled for 3:55 p.m. CT on Saturday. Senior All-American Gakologelwang Masheto was scheduled to compete the 400m, but scratched from the event due to a knee injury. Masheto ended his illustrious Illinois career as a two-time All-American, six-time Big Ten champion and three-time school record-holder. "Masheto is a young man who has done great things for this University and for some reason his knee just reacted this week," Angel said. "I know that he would do anything for this team, but I didn't want to ask him to push it and risk further injury. He's had such an amazing career at Illinois and it's unfortunate that it will end like this. He's raised the bar in terms of what it means to be an Illini and he's done this University proud." Due the injury, sophomore Cody Wisslead will replace Masheto in 4x400m relay, which is the final event tomorrow. At last year's regional meet, Wisslead was also a last-minute addition to the 4x400m relay. "Cody will run in 4x400 tomorrow and I know that he'll give his all just like he did last year," Angel said. "Without Masheto, everyone will have to step up to have shot at making it to the NCAA Championships." The Illini also contested a 4x100m relay on Friday, as the foursome of freshman Roger Jones, freshman Stanley Azie, Wisslead and junior Azeez Shogbuyi timed 41.53 to take 14th in event preliminaries. Sophomore Casey Fonnesbeck took 20th in the shot put with a distance of 53-2 3/4. In other action on the track, Wisslead (400m hurdles) and senior Gary Miller (800m) both just missed qualifying for Saturday's event finals. Wisslead placed 10th in the 400m hurdles prelims to narrowly miss making the final, clocking a 51.90 to finish .12 out of the final spot. Miller ran 1:50.94 in the 800 to place 11th in the prelims, missing out on the final by just .63 seconds. Illinois will continue action at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships on Saturday beginning at noon CT with Andrew Zollner in the pole vault and followed by Matt McHugh in the hammer throw and finals of the running events. Live results can be found at www.deltatiming.com and also linked on www.fightingillini.com. WOMEN'S RESULT LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior Angela Bizzarri won the 5,000m title at the NCAA Mideast Region Championships for the second straight year Friday night at Louisville's Cardinal Park, punching her ticket to the NCAA Championships. The top five finishers in each individual event in each of the four regional meets throughout the country receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, scheduled for June 10-13. Bizzarri, the 2009 Big Ten 5,000m Champion, ran a time of 16:11.00 on Friday to edge Wisconsin's Gwen Jorgenson by half a second. With the win, Bizzarri becomes Illinois' seventh regional champion since the regional meets started in 2003, and is the program's first two-time winner. A six-time All-American, she entered the weekend ranked second in the nation in the event. ""Angela was superb today,"" head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey said. ""She came in ranked first in the region so her strategy was to conserve throughout the race and kick at the end and she accomplished that. I think she's well on her way to improving on last year's second place finish at the NCAA championships."" The Illini 4x100m relay automatically advanced to tomorrow's final by winning its heat, as the foursome of Aja Evans, Ashley Kelly, Omoye Ugiagbe and Tamika Robinson timed 45.69, just 0.01 off their season-best time of 45.68. The Orange and Blue will be the third seed in tomorrow's final scheduled for 3 p.m. LSU blazed to the top time of the day, running 43.92 in prelims and setting a facility record. Illinois will have two athletes in tomorrow's 400m final, as sophomore Melissa Bates and freshman Ryisha Boyd ran the seventh and eighth best times in preliminaries to qualify. Bates timed 54.23, while Boyd ran 54.52. Senior Omoye Ugiagbe also ran the 400m, finishing 13th in trials with a time of 54.96. Two individuals will also represent Illinois in Saturday's 400m hurdles final as senior Deserea Brown and freshman Latoya Griffith both won their qualifying heats on Friday. Brown, the 2009 Big Ten Champion in the event, ran a 58.88, which makes her the fourth seed in the finals. Griffith, meanwhile, turned in a time of 59.07 to rank sixth coming out of the prelims. In the long jump, junior Alecia Beckford-Stewart and sophomore Jessica Penney both turned in impressive performances, but just missed finishing in the top five required to earn a trip to NCAAs. Beckford-Stewart had a leap of 20 feet, 2 ¼ inches to finish in seventh place, only 2 ¼ inches out of fifth and just ¼ inch off her personal best. Penny was right behind her teammate, placing eighth with a jump of 20 feet, ½ inch. Senior Nikkita Holder missed qualifying for the 100m hurdles final by one place and 0.03 seconds, as she timed a season-best 13.59 to finish ninth in trials. Sophomore Jessica Penney also ran the event, finishing 24th with a time of 14.08. ""We had a very good day all around,"" Buford-Bailey said. ""We have two finalists in both the 400 and 400 hurdles and the 4x100 making finals is a big accomplishment, as they were seeded 21st coming in. Also, Alecia Beckford-Stewart and Jessica Penney both performed very well in the long jump even though they came up just short of the top five. We have a lot of people competing tomorrow, so it could a big day for us."" Illinois will continue action at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships on Saturday, highlighted by Aja Evans in the shot put, Chantelle Groenewoud in the 3,000m steeplechase and finals of the running events. Live results can be found at www.deltatiming.com and also linked on www.fightingillini.com

Minnesota's Rue sets new regional record in winning pole vault

Fri, 29 May 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Golden Gopher pole vaulter Alicia Rue continued her impressive junior campaign defending her NCAA Midwest Region Championships title with a region championships' record height of 14 feet, 1 3/4 inches. The 2009 Midwest Region Championships, hosted by the University of Oklahoma, concludes on Saturday. Rue missed only one attempt before she cleared the winning height and defended her regional crown in the event. The Gopher All-American took three attempts 14-5 1/4, a height that would have matched the nation's top mark as well as set a new Minnesota record. Rue will make her third NCAA outdoor nationals appearance. "This regional meet is always a challenge," said Golden Gopher Matt Bingle. "You have some athletes that continue to step it up, such as Alicia Rue, and others that struggle coming off the Big Ten Championships a couple weeks ago. Our performance today definitely reflects that. We had good things and not so good things happen. All you can do is pick it up tomorrow and see what happens." Always a marquee event for the Gopher women – the 800 meters – found four Minnesota runners vying for a spot in Saturday's final. Two-time defending Heather Dorniden clocked the fastest time of the prelims, 2:06.77, to easy advance. Nikki Swenson also qualified for the final with a time of 2:08.11 after placing third in her heat. Jamie Dittmar posted a time of 2:10.67, while Julie Schwengler was timed at 2:13.33. The Gophers' 4x100-meter relay of Chimerem Okoroji, Nyoka Giles, Chioma Omeoga and Adrienne Thomas qualified for Sunday's final with a time of 45.86 seconds. The time is the second-fastest relay time this season for the Minnesota foursome. Omeoga is the veteran on the relay, running with three true freshmen. One of five Minnesota freshmen competing, DeAnne Hahn, was the first Golden Gopher in action competing in the women's hammer throw. Hahn landed her top throw in her first attempt – 165 feet, 7 inches. The effort, however, was not far enough to move on to finals. The Gopher rookie finishes her freshman season ranked sixth on the Gophers' all-time list in the hammer with a season-best throw of 181-0. Hahn will compete again tomorrow in the shot put. Christin Kingsley was unable to advance out of the prelims in the long jump. Kingsley's best jump on the day was 18-10 1/2. Kingsley ends her Gopher career ranked second in school history in the event with a jump of 21-0. She landed that jump at the NCAA regional meet in 2008. Coming off a school-record performance in the 400 meters at the Big Ten meet, junior Rikita Butler drew a tough lane – lane 7 – and failed to advance to the final in the event. Butler finished third in her heat with a time of 54.90 seconds. Senior Laura Massey added a sixth-place finish in the pole vault with a season-best height of 12-10. Samantha Sonnenberg tied for 11th with a height of 12- Kelly Stalpes ran her second-fastest time of the season, 1:00.43, in the 400-meter hurdles but failed to advance to the final. Stalpes had not run a 400-meter hurdles race until this season. The Gophers had three throwers in the women's discus competition but none of the trio managed to advance to the final. Senior Amanda Solberg topped the list of Gophers with a throw of 151-10 for 14th place. Hannah Studt was 17th with an effort of 153-10, while Nikki Tzanakis was 20th at 145-6. The top five finishers in the 19 events contested at the regional championships advance to the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas on June 10-13.

Spartan men and women complete day one

Fri, 29 May 2009 20:23:00 +0000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Michigan State senior Lisa Senakiewich (Davison, Mich.) earned a berth to the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships after finishing third in the women's 5,000m run at the NCAA Mideast Outdoor Track & Field Regional on Friday at Cardinal Park on the campus of Louisville. Senakiewich earns her first career berth to the National Championships and her bid gives director of track & field Walt Drenth at least one national qualifier on the women's side in each of his three seasons at the helm of the program. Senakiewich clocked in at a personal-best time of 16:12.88 en-route to her third-place nod while teammate Emily MacLeod (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished the 5,000m run in 16:38.04, rounding out the top eight in the event. The pair earned the Spartan women seven points in the team competition. Thrower Ashley Lawrence (Troy, Mich.), who was the final competitor on the day for MSU, also had a fine performance for the women. Lawrence competed in the first of her two events on the weekend, placing sixth in the discus with a toss of 51.13m (167-9), a substantial personal-best. In all, the women tallied 10 points in the team competition, placing the women eighth after the first day. Lawrence will also compete in the women's shot put finals at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. Senior Jeremy Orr (Detroit, Mich.) also had a fine performance on day one to lead the men's squad. Orr placed eighth in the preliminary heats of the 400m dash with a time of 46.70, qualifying him for tomorrow's finals in the event. Orr was the only Spartan to qualify for the finals in his respective event after day one. The time was his third-fastest of the season. Freshman Cliff Miller (Ann Arbor, Mich.) kicked the day off for the Spartans by placing 19th overall with a leap of 2.05m (6-8 ¾) in the high jump, his second-best mark of the season. While Miller was competing in the high jump, pole vaulters Katie Shaw (Lakeview, Mich.) and Ashley Smith (Ceresco, Mich.) were starting the competition for MSU on the women's side. Smith and Shaw both vaulted 3.91m (12-10). Smith cleared that height in her second attempt, placing her 14th and earning her a new personal-best. Shaw cleared the height, which is her third-best mark of the season, during her third and final attempt, earning her 17th overall. Sophomore Brad Wentzel (Allegan, Mich.) kept things going in the field events for the men, competing in the first of his two events on the weekend, the shot put. Wentzel tossed 15.35m (50-4 ½), earning him 27th overall. Wentzel will also compete in the discus this weekend, along with teammate and Big Ten Champion in the event Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich.), tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Shane Wells (Romulus, Mich.) started the day on the track for MSU as he competed in the preliminary heats of the 110m hurdles. Wells placed fifth in his heat and 14th overall with a time of 14.41, his fourth-best time of the season. Wells just missed qualifying for the finals tomorrow. Junior Leah Elenbaas (Greenville, Mich.) was the first Spartan to compete in the track events for the women as she took part in the preliminary heats 800m run. Elenbaas turned in her fourth-best time of the season, clocking in at 2:09.69, placing 14th overall and sixth in her heat, but failed to qualify for tomorrow's finals. Ian Boyle (Pinckney, Mich.) ran in the 800m run for the men. After finishing the race in 1:51.02, Boyle finished fourth in his heat and 12th overall, missing qualifying for the finals by only four places. Competition at the regional will resume tomorrow at 11 a.m. Although Orr is the only Spartan advancing to the finals, several other Spartans will also be competing in events that will be contested tomorrow. Seniors Nicole Bush (Wyoming, Mich.) and Sarah Price (Mankato, Minn.) will compete in the 3,000m steeplechase while All-Big Ten Second Team honoree Kyron Foster (Deltona, Fla.) will compete in the triple jump. Logan Lynch (Lambertville, Mich.) will compete in the pole vault and both Kyle Strotbaum (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Anthony Agrusa (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) will compete in the hammer. For a complete recap from tomorrow's action, check back with www.msuspartans.com.