Michigan
NCAA Mideast Regional (Day 2)
Three Qualify for NCAAs; DQ Denies Others from Trying
5/31/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team had a day of ups and downs Saturday (May 31) at the 2003 NCAA Mideast Regional at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. With three athletes earning spots in the upcoming NCAA Championships yesterday (Friday, May 30), seniors April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) and Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS) kept the momentum rolling by qualifying for NCAAs in the hammer throw, the second national invitation extended to each at the regional.
| | Bickett qualified for NCAAs in three events, finishing in the top three in the shot put, discus and hammer throw. |
The ruling forced senior/junior Carly Knazze (Southfield, Mich./Southfield HS) to miss the final of the 200-meter dash and junior Vera Simms (Mililani, Hawaii/Mililani HS) to sit out the final heat of the 400-meter hurdles, as each event was scheduled to take place later in the evening.
The U-M duo of Phillips and Bickett finished one-two in the hammer throw, as Phillips took her second event title of the weekend with a throw of 199-2, one inch off of her school-record distance. Bickett was second, launching a breakthrough, personal-best throw of 193-8. The toss annihilated her prior best by 13-8 and outdistanced the third-place competitor's mark by nearly two feet. Bickett also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the discus, finishing runner-up with a toss of 167-1.
Phillips and Bickett would not prove to hold the day's only highlights, as sophomore Stephanie Linz (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) also earned a regional title. The No. 7-ranked high jumper coming into the competition, Linz was the sole athlete to surpass a height of 5-10 1/2 in the final.
Senior tri-captain Teyonna Simpson (Fremont, Calif./Mission San Jose HS) ended her Michigan career with a season-best jump of 40-3 1/2 good enough for 17th place in the triple jump.
With setback in the relay looming over the track, however, two U-M athletes remained in contention for a trip to the NCAA meet. Senior Rachel Sturtz (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) and junior/sophomore Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS) battled through the cold Columbus winds in the finals of the 800- and 1,500-meter races, respectively, though neither was able to earn an automatic trip to the finals. Gallo placed seventh in the 1,500 with a time of 4:21.30, 2.28 seconds out of the fifth and final qualifying slot. Sturtz took eighth in the 800 meters, in which seven members of the field posted times better than the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium record despite the cold and wind.
The Maize and Blue's Phillips, Bickett, Linz and freshman Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS), who have each qualified for the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships, will take a week off from competition before heading to Sacramento, Calif., to compete against the best in the country June 11-14 at Sacramento State's Hornets Stadium.
Saturday Results
200-meter Dash 1. Rachelle Boone, Indiana 23.93# -- Carly Knazze, U-M DQ 800-meter Run 1. Becky Lynne, Butler 2:02.89# 8. Rachel Sturtz, U-M 2:10.65 1,500-meter Run 1. Tiffany McWilliams, Miss. St. 4:14.36# 7. Lindsey Gallo, U-M 4:21.30 400-meter Hurdles 1. Chrystal Dooley, EMU 58.73 -- Vera Simms, U-M DQ 4x100-meter Relay 1. Louisiana State 43.53# -- Michigan DNS (Carly Knazze, Robin Landfair, Vera Simms, Sierra Hauser-Price) 4x400-meter Relay 1. Louisiana State 3:43.18 -- Michigan DQ (Shavonne Maclin, Rachel Sturtz, Sierra Hauser-Price, Vera Simms) High Jump 1. Stephanie Linz, U-M 5-10 1/2 (1.79m) T18. Jennifer Kulchar, U-M 5-5 1/4 (1.66m) -- Porsha Ellis, U-M NH Hammer Throw 1. April Phillips, U-M 199-2 (60.70m) 2. Melissa Bickett, U-M 193-8 (59.04m) Discus 1. Amarachi Ukabam, Ohio State 171-2 (52.17m) 2. Melissa Bickett, U-M 167-1 (50.92m) Triple Jump 1. Amarachi Ukabam, Ohio State 44-6 3/4 (13.58m)# 17. Teyonna Simpson, U-M 40-3 1/2 (12.98m) # Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium record
Day 1 Results
N O T E S
It marks the second consecutive year U-M will be represented by three or more athletes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Wolverines will send four athletes to the meet: Melissa Bickett (discus, shot put and hammer throw), April Phillips (hammer throw and shot put), Stephanie Linz (high jump) and Rebecca Walter (5,000-meter run).
With a first-place finish in the hammer throw, April Phillips will compete in two events (hammer throw and shot put) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second consecutive year.
Melissa Bickett earned her third consecutive showing in the discus at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as she placed second in the event today in Columbus, Ohio. It will be her first NCAA appearance in the hammer throw competition.
Due to disqualification in the NCAA Mideast Regional, Carly Knazze and Vera Simms are not eligible for a "wild card" invitation to the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships based on their regular-season times.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
