Michigan
Len Paddock Invitational (Day 1)
Paddock Invitational Field Can't Touch Phillips in Hammer
5/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In her final home competition wearing the Maize and Blue, University of Michigan women's track and field senior tri-captain April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) continued to improve the school record in her signature event, the hammer throw, as she heaved the ball and chain a personal best 199-3 during the first event of the Len Paddock Invitational early Friday morning (May 9). It was one of three NCAA Regional qualifying marks Phillips posted on the first day of the two-day meet at Ferry Field.
| | Phillips was pumped after bumping up her school hammer record by four and a half feet. |
Phillips' mark now weighs in as the longest throw in both the Big Ten Conference and Mideast Region. She surpassed Katie Johnson of Penn State as the conference leader, bettering the Nittany Lion's throw of 197-3. Regionally Phillip's mark bettered Mallory McDonald of Louisiana State, who previously held the top spot at 197-4.
Junior Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS) set her own Ferry Field record when she sent the discus an NCAA Regional qualifying and season-best distance of 178-1. Bickett, the Michigan record holder in the event, bettered the year-old mark of 172-2 set by Ohio State's Krista Keir at the 2002 Paddock Invitational. Bickett's regional qualifying distance improved her season-best mark by 3 1/2 feet as her previous best this year was 174-8 set at the Yellow Jacket Invitational (April 5).
Phillips and sophomore Tara Kennedy (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven HS) marked personal bests in the discus as each posted her first NCAA Regional qualifying mark of the season in the event. Phillips' third-place mark of 160-4 bettered her previous-best throw of 154-4 set at the Central Michigan Quad (4/14/01) during her sophomore campaign. Kennedy earned her first career NCAA Regional throw as she PR'd by 10 feet. Kennedy's sixth-place mark of 148-6 annihilated her previous best of 138-1 set early this season at the Hillsdale Relays (April 26).
Phillips added a second event victory later in the day when she won the shot put with an NCAA Regional qualifying distance of 51-8 1/2. Bickett also turned in an NCAA Regional qualifying mark, finishing third at 48-6 3/4.
On the track senior/junior Robin Landfair (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) and junior Vera Simms (Mililani, Hawaii/Mililani HS) turned in NCAA Regional qualifying marks as Landfair won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.10, while Simms placed second in the 400-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in 59.40.
The Wolverines return to Ferry Field Saturday (May 10) for the conclusion of the Len Paddock Invitational. Field events get things started at 11 a.m. with the women's pole vault, high jump, long jump and triple jump. Running events are slated to begin at 1 p.m. with the men's 4x100-meter relay.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
