Michigan
NCAA Outdoor Championships (Day 3)
Bickett Places Seventh in Discus at NCAA Championships
6/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As the only competitor for the University of Michigan women's track and field team on the third day of action at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships, junior Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS) earned her first career All-America honor when she finished seventh in the discus throw Friday afternoon (June 13) at the A.G. Spanos Sports Complex. Bickett's seventh-place performance earned the Wolverines their first two points of the four-day competition.
| | Bickett |
Bickett moved her way into sixth place following her third throw of the prelims as she caught a slight bit of wind pushing her disc 168-1 away from the throwing circle. However, an additional athlete bettered her distance, dropping her to seventh. As the top nine qualifiers made it into finals, Bickett was the third thrower into the final of the event finishing seventh in the prelims.
Bickett did not improve her distance on her first throw in the final, but did so on her second attempt with a mark of 168-6. The toss did not improve her standing as Alabama freshman Beth Mallory posted a mark of 171-7 on her second attempt in the preliminary round. Bickett foot fouled on her last attempt.
It marks Bickett's best finish in the discus at the outdoor national meet. As a sophomore in 2002 she placed 11th and in 2000 as a freshman she finished 18th.
Fellow Big Ten Conference member Deshaya Williams of Penn State claimed the NCAA title with a winning throw of 181-9.
Senior tri-captain April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS), sophomore Stephanie Linz (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) and freshman Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) are Michigan's final three competitors as the NCAA Championships conclude on Saturday (June 14). Phillips opens the Wolverines' action as the eighth thrower in the hammer throw, which will begin at 10 a.m. PDT.
Friday's Results
Discus 1. Deshaya Williams, Penn State 181-9 (55.40m) 7. Melissa Bickett, U-M 168-6 (51.35m)
Results: Day 1 | Day 2
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
