Michigan
Big Ten Outdoor Championships (Day 3)
U-M Completes Season Sweep of Big Ten Team Titles
5/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MADISON, Wis. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team swept the Big Ten Championships for the third time in nine years as the Wolverines took the outdoor team title with 109 points Sunday (May 19) behind three event titles on the final day of competition at Dan McClimon Memorial Track.
| | Sturtz |
Sturtz defended her 800-meter outdoor championship with an NCAA provisional qualifiying time of 2:07.45. Following Sturtz across the line were a pair of Wolverines as freshmen Tracy Egnatuk (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) and Stephanie Hirtle (Slamon Arm, B.C./Salmon Arm Senior HS) finished second and third with times of 2:08.27 and 2:08.73, respectively.
Sturtz's victory in the 800 meters marked the fourth consecutive year in which a Wolverine claimed the title. With the Mazie and Blue taking the top three spots followed by Ursula Taylor's (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg HS) sixth-place finish the Wolverines earned 27 points in the event.
In the next race on the track Simms broke the eight-year-old school record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.50, lowering Laura Jerman's (1991-93) mark of 59.33 in 1994.
Katie Jazwinski (Grand Rapids, Mich./West Catholic HS) gave Michigan an additional 10 points as she won her second Big Ten title of the 2002 season with an NCAA provisional time of 16:32.60 in the 5,000-meter run. Running in the final Big Ten race of her career, Jazwinski opened a 200-meter lead on the sixth lap of the event and never looked back, finishing three seconds ahead of second-place Ann Stechschulte of Purdue.
In her first race Sunday, Jazwinski began Michigan's strong day with a second-place finish in the 1,500-meter run, posting a season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:20.53. The senior tri-captain jumped out with the lead pack early as she and Wisconsin's Bethany Brewster and Hilary Edmondson seperated themselves on the third lap of the race. Around the first turn of the bell lap Jazwinski fell to third as Wisconsin's pair opened a five-meter lead. The lead held up until the final 100 meters when Jazwinski sprinted past Edmondson for Michigan's second runner-up showing of the Championships.
Sophomore Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS) also picked up a runner-up finish on Sunday, placing second in the discus with an NCAA provisional toss of 174-10.
On the final field event of the day, Jennifer Kulchar (Burton, Mich./Atherton HS) placed seventh in the high jump with a leap of 5-6, giving the Wolverines 101 points with only the 4x400-meter relay remaining. Michigan's 4x400-meter relay team of Mora Arnold (Gregory, Mich./Chelsea HS), Taylor, Simms and Rankin just needed to place to secure the conference team title.
As the event began Arnold jumped out to a lead on the opening lap and handed the baton over to Taylor with a slight advantage over Indiana and Illinois. As Taylor rounded the first turn she fell to third, but on Simms' handoff to Rankin, the Wolverines vaulted into second place and the championship was theirs.
The Wolverines will next compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Wedensday through Sunday (May 29-June 1) in Baton Rouge, La.
Final Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN 109 2. Indiana 94.50 3. Illinois 93 4. Purdue 90.33 5. Wisconsin 89.33 6. Minnesota 83 7. Ohio State 76 8. Penn State 72 9. Michigan State 71 10. Iowa 37.83
Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 3)
100-meter Dash 1. Connie Moore, Penn State 11.31#% 7. Sierra Hauser-Price, U-M 14.18 400-meter Dash 1. Tia Trent, Indiana 53:63 800-meter Run 1. Rachel Sturtz, U-M 2:07.45# 2. Tracy Egnatuk, U-M 2:08.27 3. Stephanie Hirtle, U-M 2:08:73 6. Ursula Taylor, U-M 2:09.95 1,500-meter Run 1. Bethany Brewster, Wisconsin 4:16.86@ 2. Katie Jazwinski, U-M 4:20.53# 5,000-meter Run 1. Katie Jazwinski, U-M 16:32.60# 9. Andrea Parker, U-M 17:07.22 100-meter Hurdles 1. Danielle Carruthers, Indiana 12.68@% 6. Robin Landfair, U-M 13.87 400-meter Hurdles 1. Vera Simms, U-M 58:50$% 7. Shalina Rankin, U-M 1:01.75 4x100-meter Relay 1. Indiana 44.22#% 7. Michigan 48.07 (Robin Landfair, Vera Simms, Mora Arnold, Keri Kirk) 4x400-meter Relay 1. Indiana 3:40.18 2. Michigan 3:43.76 (Mora Arnold, Ursula Taylor, Vera Simms, Shalina Rankin) Discus 1. Krista Keir, Ohio State 178-11#% (54.54m) 2. Melissa Bickett, U-M 174-10# (53.28m) Triple Jump 1. Sherita Williams, MSU 42-10 3/4# (13.07m) 6. Teyonna Simpson, U-M 40-7 1/2 (12.38m) High Jump 1. Tami Smith, Ohio State 5-11 1/2# (1.81m) 7. Jennifer Kulchar, U-M 5-6 (1.68m) 12. Nicole DeNamur, U-M 5-6 (1.68m) 15. Stephanie Linz, U-M 5-4 1/2 (1.64m) @ NCAA automatic mark # NCAA provisional mark % McClimon Track Complex Record $ U-M School Record * Big Ten Outdoor Championships Record
Day 1 Results | Day 2 Results
N O T E S
The Wolverines have won four Big Ten outdoor championships, adding this year's title to those won in 1993, '94 and '98. U-M's four outdoor crowns rank in a tie for second with Illinois, trailing only Wisconsin's record of eight.
Michigan has accomplished the season sweep of both conference track and field titles two previous times, in 1994 and 1998. Wisconsin leads a group of three other Big Ten schools that have completed the season sweep of conference titles. The Badgers have won both meets on five occasions, including a span of six consecutive championships between 1984-86.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach James Henry
On winning the Big Ten outdoor team title ... "I am very proud of our team today, we competed hard. Our effort was indicitative of how we have worked all year and it paid off for us today."
On completing the season sweep of team titles ... "I am very surprised at the outcome today. I was surprised when we won the indoor title at Penn State, but this weekend we had a few athletes injured who we were counting on to score big points, but others stepped up and got the job done."
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
