Michigan
Michigan Quadrangular
Distance Sweep Leads Michigan to Victory in Quad Meet
1/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team claimed its first meet title of the 2003 season as the Wolverines claimed the top spot in Saturday's (Jan. 18) Michigan Quadrangular held at the U-M Track Building. Michigan earned the victory by 36.5 points as the Maize and Blue posted a team score of 188 followed by Indiana (151.5), Kent State (116) and Michigan State (82.5).
The Wolverines won eight of the 15 events, with six of their wins between the distances of 400 and 3,000 meters. Included in those wins were U-M titles in the 400, 600, 800, mile and 3,000-meter runs along with a first-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay.
Junior/sophomore Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS) gave U-M its first title of the meet with a victory in the mile with a first-place time of 4:56.74. Gallo's victory was the first of her track and field career at Michigan. Her previous best finish on the track was a runner-up finish in the 3,000-meter run at the CMU Invitational on Feb. 2, 2001.
Two events later senior/junior Carly Knazze (Southfield, Mich./Southfield HS) followed Gallo's lead with a victory in the 400-meter dash, clocking in at 57.89. It marked Knazze's first individual event title since she took the top spot in the 400-meter dash on April 14, 2001, at the Michigan Triangular.
Freshman Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS) made it three straight distance wins when she crossed the line with a first-place time of 1:32.86 in the 600-meter run. Erdman led a one-two finish for Michigan as junior Vera Simms (Mililani, Hawaii, Mililani HS) finished second with a time of 1:35.69.
Sophomore Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele HS) followed Erdman's victory with a win of her own as she took the top spot in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.27. Michigan actually went 1-2-3 in the event, as fellow classmate Stephanie Hirtle (Salmon Arm, B.C./Salmon Arm SS) finished second at 2:14.75, while senior tri-captain Rachel Sturtz (Traverse City, Mich./Central HS) placed third (2:15.41).
Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) registered the Wolverines' final individual running win when she placed first in the 3,000-meter run, crossing the line in 9:37.80. Like the 800-meter run, U-M went 1-2-3 in the 3,000 as sophomore/freshman Chelsea Loomis (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) and Andrea Parker (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) finished second and third in 9:43.50 and 9:49.20, respectively.
Completing the distance sweep for Michigan was the 400-meter relay team composed of freshman Shavonne Maclin (University Heights, Ohio/Beaumont School), Simms, Erdman and Knazze. The foursome finished the three-handoff race with a time of 3:55.88. Maclin and Simms opened up a 30-meter lead through the first two legs of the race but during the exchange between Simms and Erdman the baton fell to the track and began to roll away from the two Wolverines.
Erdman chased after the baton and gathered it in time to keep the lead but was passed by Indiana on the first turn. The Indiana runner maintained her slight lead through the entire first lap, but Erdman recovered during the second lap and handed off to Knazze with a Michigan lead. Running the anchor leg of the relay, Knazze wasted no time pulling away as she crossed the finish line 3.5 seconds ahead of Indiana (4:07.51).
On the infield freshman Elizabeth Boyle (Northbrook, Ill./New Trier HS) and senior tri-captain April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) posted victories, with Boyle winning the pole vault and Phillips taking the shot put.
Boyle earned her second straight win the event when she cleared 12-5 1/2, a half inch shy of her one-week-old school record of 12-6 set at the Jack Harvey Invitational (Jan. 11). Boyle nearly cleared 13-0 when she made it over the bar and landed on the mat before the bar wiggled off its hinges and fell to the ground.
Phillips also earned her second win of the season with her victory in the shot put. The reigning Big Ten outdoor shot put champion threw an NCAA provisional distance of 50-1 1/4 to head a 1-2 Michigan finish in the event. Junior Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS) finished second with a distance of 48-9 1/5.
The Wolverines play host to their third indoor meet of the season when they open the doors to the U-M Track Building next Saturday (Jan. 25) and welcome competitors to the Red Simmons Invitational. Field events begin competition at 9:30 a.m., while running events are scheduled to begin at noon.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
