Clifford Crowned Big Ten Champion in 3,000 Meters

Saturday, May 20

Iowa City, Iowa

Michigan

Big Ten Outdoor Championships (Day 2)

5/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Michigan junior Katie Clifford (Grand Rapids, Mich./West Catholic HS) rallied the Wolverines to fifth-place standing after the second day of the Big Ten Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships as she won the 3,000-meter run on Saturday (May 20). Michigan, which was scoreless on the first day, accumulated 22 points on Saturday to sit behind Minnesota (69), Purdue (62), Wisconsin (42) and Indiana (42).

Clifford's time of 9:21.92 was a career high and marked the second time this season she ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 3,000 meters. Clifford was happy with her strategy of the race. "I'm very pleased with it. I did exactly what I planned. I just planned on going fast right from lead and keep it going. It all paid off."

Also contributing to the Maize and Blue comeback were April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS), who placed fourth in the shot put with a career-best 48-2 3/4; TaNisha Williams (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS), who took fourth in the long jump with a leap of 19-4 1/4; and Tasha Phillips (Sarasota, Fla./Booker HS), who finished seventh in the heptathlon with 4,607 points.

The Wolverines will have plenty of opportunity to gain on the leaderboard with nine athletes qualifying for the finals in tomorrow's (May 21) final day of the championships. The most Wolverine representation will be in the 800-meter run. Sarah Hamilton (Canton, Mich./Salem HS), Erika Murdock (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights HS) and Ursula Taylor (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg HS) made it to the 800-meter final with times of 2:09.74, 2:11.75 and 2:12.10, respectively.

In the 1,500-meter run, Erin White (Battle Creek, Mich./Central HS) won her heat with a time of 4:35.12 to compete in tomorrow's final with teammate Lisa Ouellet (Sudbury, Ontario/Lasalle Secondary), who ran a 4:35.80. The other Wolverine multiple-final will feature sprinters Maria Brown (Kingston, Jamaica/Immaculate Conception HS) and Carly Knazze (Southfield, Mich./Southfield HS). Knazze and Brown won their heats in the 100-meter dash with times of 23.95 and 24.20, respectively.

Rounding out the advancing Wolverine competitors are Tamika Craig (Inkster, Mich./Dearborn Robichaud HS), who finished first in heat 1 of the 400-meter hurdle trials with a season-best time of 1:00.19, and the 4x100-meter relay team advanced by placing second in its heat with a time of 45.58.

The conference meet wraps up with the third and final day of competition on Sunday beginning at 10:30 a.m. CDT.

Team Scores (After Day 2)

 1. Minnesota 69 2. Purdue 62 3. Wisconsin 53 4. Indiana 42 5. MICHIGAN 22 6. Ohio State 19 Penn State 19 8. Illinois 11 9. Michigan State 10 10. Iowa 5

Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 2)

 Heptathon (Final) 1. Andrea Geurtsen, Wisconsin 5,507 pts. 7. Tasha Phillips, U-M 4,607 12. Breanne Tenclay, U-M 4,133 Shot Put 1. Aubrey Schmitt, Minnesota 51-1 1/2 (15.58m)# 4. April Phillips, U-M 48-2 3/4 (14.70m) Erin Massengale DNS Long Jump 1. Tisha Ponder, Illinois 20-2 1/2 (6.15m) 4. TaNisha Williams, U-M 19-4 1/4 (5.90m) 12. Brandi Bentley, U-M 18-8 1/2 (5.70m) 15. Tasha Phillips, U-M 18-5 1/4 (5.62m) Javelin 1. Linda Lindqvist, Minnesota 174-0 (53.04m)# 3,000-Meter Run 1. Katie Clifford, U-M 9:21.92# 15. Jeanne Spink, U-M 10:24.81 18. Katie Easton, U-M 10:51.98 4x100-Meter Relay (Trials) Heat 1 1. Indiana 45.07#q 2. MICHIGAN 45.58q 1,500-Meter Run (Trials) Heat 1 1. Erin White, U-M 4:35.13q 4. Lisa Ouellet, U-M 4:35.80q 7. Katie Easton, U-M 4:41.11 8. Jeanne Spink, U-M 4:43.28 400-Meter Dash (Trials) Heat 2 1. Carly Knazze, U-M 53.58q Heat 3 1. Kristin Liphardt, Purdue 54.18q 4. Regine Caruthers, U-M 55.41 100-Meter Dash (Trials) Heat 2 1. Chequetta Bearfield, Illinois 11.80q 2. Maria Brown, U-M 11.82q 4. Brandi Bentley, U-M 12.11 100-Meter Hurdles (Trials) Heat 1 1. Donica Merrimen, Ohio State 13.77q 3. TaNisha Williams, U-M 14.11 4. Robin Landfair, U-M 14.22 Heat 2 1. Dominique Calloway, Ohio State 13.07@q 4. Tasha Phillips, U-M 13.84 Heat 3 1. Perdit Felicien, Illinois 13.02@q 5. Ashlie Wilbon, U-M 14.33 800-Meter Run (Trials) Heat 1 1. Sarah Hamilton, U-M 2:09.74q 3. Ursula Taylor, U-M 2:12.10q Heat 3 1. Tanna-Marie Simmons, Minnesota 2:11.41q 2. Erica Murdock, U-M 2:11.75q 4. Rachel Sturtz, U-M 2:13.80 200-Meter Dash (Trials) Heat 2 1. Rachelle Boone, Indiana 23.96q 3. Regine Caruthers, U-M 24.64 Heat 3 1. Carly Knazze, U-M 23.95q Heat 4 1. Maria Brown, U-M 24.20q 400-Meter Hurdles (Trials) Heat 1 1. Ayanna Reese, Ohio State 58.32#q 4. Breanne Tenclay, U-M 1:03.93 Heat 2 1. Tamika Craig, U-M 1:00.19q @ indicates NCAA automatic qualifier # indicates NCAA provisional qualifier q qualified for finals