Michigan
NCAA Mideast Regional (Day 1)
Phillips Leads Michigan on First Day of NCAA Regional
5/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Senior tri-captain April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) of the University of Michigan women's track and field team earned an automatic trip to the NCAA Championships Friday (May 30) when she won the shot put on the first day of the inaugural NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at Jessse Owens Memorial Stadium. Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS) and Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) also earned automatic berths to the national championship meet in Sacramento, Calif., with third- and fourth-place finishes in the shot put and 5,000-meter run, respectively. Six other Wolverines qualified for event finals on Saturday (May 31).
Phillips, the 2003 Big Ten Conference Outdoor Athlete of the Year, took little time in establishing her spot atop the field when she marked her winning distance of 53-9 1/4 on her first throw of the competition. Her winning distance was three quarters of an inch further than the toss that won her the shot put crown at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships two weeks ago (May 17) in Minneapolis, Minn. It will mark her second consecutive trip to the outdoor national championship meet and third straight NCAA Championship overall.
Following a personal-best performance of 52-4 that earned her All-Big Ten second team honors at the league's outdoor championships, Bickett took the third spot in the shot put at the regional meet when she marked a toss of 51-7 3/4 on her second throw. Spinning her way to a spot on the award podium, the junior earned her a third straight showing at the outdoor NCAA Championships. Her previous two appearances at the NCAAs came in her specialty, the discus, in which she has an opportunity to qualify for the national championships Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
In the 5,000-meter run, Walter qualified to run at the NCAA Championships, turning in a fourth-place finish in 16:40.83. Walter was the top finishing Big Ten athlete, while teammate Andrea Parker (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) was the second Big Ten runner across the line, finishing seventh (16:59.01). Walter was third in the in the race at the Big Ten Championships, behind Wisconsin's Bethany Brewster and Michigan State's Jamie Krzyminski.
Elizabeth Boyle (Northbrook, Ill./New Trier HS) was U-M's highest finisher in the pole vault as she finished 13th, clearing 12-0 1/2. The freshman cleared the opening height of 11-6 1/4 on her second attempt, and after faulting on her first run at 12-0 1/2 she made it over the second height. Unfortunately, she was unable to raise the bar any further.
The Wolverines also qualified five runners for Saturday night's event finals. Leading the five-member field was junior Vera Simms (Mililani, Hawaii/Mililani HS), who posted a victory in heat two of the 400-meter hurdles, clocking in at 58.77. A two-time Big Ten champion in the event, Simms will enter Saturday's final with the second fastest time. Josanne Lucas of Auburn is the top seed with a time of 57.86.
Simms also will run on Saturday as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team that finished third in heat one of the prelims with a time of 45.68. The other members of the relay squad were Carly Knazze (Southfield, Mich./Southfield HS), Robin Landfair (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) and Sierra Hauser-Price (Van Nuys, Calif./Notre Dame HS).
Knazze earned a spot in the final of the 200-meter dash, clocking a 24.22 for fourth place in the third heat of the event's prelims.
Senior tri-captain Rachel Sturtz (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) ran a 2:07.18 for third place in the third heat of the prelims of the 800-meter run to qualify for the final on Saturday night. Michigan's final qualifier for an event final is Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS), who posted a time of 4:22.69 for third place in the first heat of the 1,500-meter run prelims.
The qualifying Wolverines as well as five field eventers begin the final day of competition at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at noon Saturday with Phillips in the hammer throw.
Friday Results
5,000-meter Run 1. Molly Huddle, Notre Dame 16:12.81# 4. Rebecca Walter, U-M 16:40.83 7. Andrea Parker, U-M 16:59.01 Shot Put 1. April Phillips, U-M 53-9 1/2 (16.39m) 3. Melissa Bickett, U-M 51-7 3/4 (14.28m) Pole Vault 1. April Steiner, Arkansas 13-6 1/4 (4.12m) 13. Elizabeth Boyle, U-M 12-0 1/2 (3.67m) -- Anna Fisher, U-M NH 100-meter Dash (Prelims) Heat 3 1. Muna Lee, LSU 11.24Q 6. Sierra Hauser-Price, U-M 11.98 200-meter Dash (Prelims) Heat 2 1. Rachelle Boone, Indiana 23.32Q% -- Sierra Hauser-Price, U-M DNS Heat 3 1. Stephanie Durst, LSU 23.56Q 4. Carly Knazze, U-M 24.22q 800-meter Run (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Becky Lyne, Butler 2:02.66Q% 4. Theresa Feldkamp, U-M 2:09.10 Heat 3 1. Tiffany McWilliams, Mississippi St. 2:02.92Q 3. Rachel Sturtz, U-M 2:07.18q 1,500-meter Run (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Tiffany McWilliams, Mississippi St. 4:14.66Q% 3. Lindsey Gallo, U-M 4:22.69q 10. Chelsea Homan, U-M 4:37.82 100-meter Hurdles (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Lolo Jones, LSU 12.96Q 3. Robin Landfair, U-M 13.72 400-meter Hurdles (Prelims) Heat 2 1. Vera Simms, U-M 58.77Q 4x100-meter Relay (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Louisiana State 43.58Q# 3. Michigan 45.68q (Carly Knazze, Robin Landfair, Vera Simms, Sierra Hauser-Price) Qq indicates qualification for finals # Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium record
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
