Weekly Release #18
5/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Fri-Sun., May 19-21 -- at Big Ten Conference Championships (Iowa City, Iowa)
Wed-Sat., May 31-June 3 -- at NCAA Outdoor Championships (Durham, N.C.)
Wolverines Headed to Iowa for Big Ten Championships
The University of Michigan men's track and field team opens postseason action with the 2000 Big Ten Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday through Sunday (May 19-21) at the Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track in Iowa City, Iowa. A schedule of events for the Big Ten Championships can be found on the official website for Iowa Athletics at www.hawkeyesports.com.
Centennial Championships
The 2000 Big Ten Outdoor Championships mark the 100th annual conference championships meet for the outdoor season. In the previous 99 years of Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Michigan leads the Big Ten with 30 team championships. However, the Wolverines have not won the outdoor title since 1983, which was the last of a string of four straight Big Ten outdoor titles for the Maize and Blue from 1980-83. Here are the total number of Big Ten championships for each school in the Big Ten. (Note: Northwestern discontinued track as a varsity sport in 1988.)
School Big Ten Outdoor Championships 1. MICHIGAN 30 2. Illinois 28 3. Indiana 12 4. Wisconsin 10 5. Ohio State 4 Minnesota 4 7. Michigan State 3 Chicago 3 9. Iowa 2
Michigan Finished in Middle of Pack in 1999
When the Wolverines compete at the 2000 Big Ten Outdoor Championships, they will be looking to improve upon their sixth-place finish in 1999. The Wolverines scored in 13 of 21 events and had multi-scorers in the 10,000-meter run, triple jump and pole vault. Both Michigan scorers in the pole vault, Charles DeWildt (Wyoming, Mich./Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS) and Brent Sheffer (Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City HS), return for the 2000 championships as well as both scorers in the 10,000-meter run, Steve Lawrence (Consecon, Ontario/East Northumberland HS) and Mike Wisniewski (Temperance, Mich./Bedford HS). The final team scores from the 1999 Big Ten Outdoor Championships:
1. Minnesota 149.5 2. Iowa 113 3. Wisconsin 107 4. Illinois 77 5. Michigan State 75 6. MICHIGAN 70.5 7. Purdue 68.5 8. Indiana 64 9. Penn State 62 10. Ohio State 31.5
Returning Big Ten Champ
Michigan's lone returning Big Ten individual champion from the 1999 conference meet is senior Jay Cantin (Camlachie, Ontario/Sarnia HS), who won the 1,500-meter run with a pace of 3:51.43. Cantin's victory in the 1,500 was the third straight and fifth overall by a Wolverine, with current assistant coach Kevin Sullivan winning in 1997 and '98. Cantin is the only Wolverine other than Sullivan to win the 1,500-meter conference title and will be looking to make it four straight for a Wolverine this weekend. Cantin is also a Big Ten champion in the indoor mile, which he won as a junior in 1999.
Ready for Next Step
Michigan sophomore hurdler Derek Applewhite (Brighton, Colo./Brighton HS) returns for the 2000 Big Ten Championships after placing runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles as a freshman in 1999. Applewhite ran a 14.35 to place second behind winner Sherman Armstrong of Illinois, who ran the 110-meter hurdles in 14.24 and returns to defend his title this season. Applewhite heads into the conference championships on a high note after running a Michigan season-best 14.09 at the Len Paddock Invitational on Saturday (May 12). Applewhite's time of 14.09 is ranked fourth in the Big Ten.
Okenwa Tops Big Ten Rankings
Michigan sophomore Ike Okenwa (San Diego, Calif./Morse HS), who placed seventh in the 200-meter dash at the 1999 Big Ten Championships with a pace of 21.23, is entering the 2000 Big Ten Championships ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in the 100-meter dash. Okenwa earned that ranking after running a Michigan season best, personal record and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10.22 to win that event at the Len Paddock Invitational on Saturday (May 12). Okenwa is also ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten with a Michigan season-best time of 21.23, which he ran at the Toledo Invitational (May 6).
DeWildt Moves Up the Charts
Junior pole vaulter Charles DeWildt joined Okenwa at the top of the Big Ten rankings after nailing a personal record vault of 17-4 3/4 to win that event at the Len Paddock Invitational (May 11) and make him an NCAA provisional qualifier. DeWildt's mark of 17-4 3/4 not only put him at the top of the Big Ten rankings heading into the conference meet, but also moved him up to the No. 2 on Michigan's career list for the outdoor pole vault. The Michigan record for the outdoor pole vault is 18-0 1/2, set by current Michigan assistant coach Brad Darr in 1992. Darr is also the last Wolverine to win the Big Ten title in the outdoor pole vault, which he also accomplished in 1992.
PR for Derr
Junior thrower Andy Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick HS) set a personal record in the javelin (217-9) with a runner-up finish in that event at the Len Paddock Invitational on Friday (May 11). Derr's mark moved him up to No. 4 in the Big Ten rankings heading into the Big Ten Championships.
Big Ten Conference Rankings
(Wolverines in top eight and leaders of those events)
100-Meter Dash 1. Ike Okenwa, U-M 10.22 200-Meter Dash 1. Mike Bennett, Wisconsin 20.66 7. Ike Okenwa, U-M 21.23 400-Meter Dash 1. Andrew Pierce, Ohio State 45.49 8. Kevin Lamb, U-M 47.77 5,000-Meter Run 1. Jay Schoenfelder, Wisconsin 13:38.87 4. Mike Wisniewski, U-M 14:10.78 6. Jay Cantin, U-M 14:23.41 10,000-Meter Run 1. Stetson Steele, Iowa 28:44.47 4. Mike Wisniewski, U-M 29:05.12 5. Steve Lawrence, U-M 29:07.43 110-Meter Hurdles 1. T.J. Nelson, Wisconsin 13.85 4. Derek Applewhite, U-M 14.09 400-Meter Hurdles 1. Sherman Armstrong, Illinois 49.20 3. Josh Sellers, U-M 51.59 5. Derek Applewhite, U-M 51.69 4x100-Meter Relay 1. Wisconsin 39.77 4. Michigan 40.54 4x400-Meter Relay 1. Ohio State 3:06.33 2. Michigan 3:09.53 Pole Vault 1. Charles DeWildt, U-M 17-4 3/4 Hammer Throw 1. Chris Brown, Purdue 210-11 6. Patrik Johansson, U-M 188-6 Javelin 1. Dan Ralph, Iowa 227-10 4. Andy Derr, U-M 217-9
Wolverines in the NCAA Rankings
100-Meter Dash 1. Kim Collins, TCU 10.02 t16. Ike Okenwa, U-M 10.22 10,000-Meter Run 1. Brent Hauser, Stanford 28:23.37 17. Mike Wisniewski, U-M 29:05.12 19. Steve Lawrence, U-M 29:07.43 Pole Vault 1. Russ Buller, Louisiana State 18-8 3/4 t23. Charles DeWildt, U-M 17-4 3/4
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
