Weekly Release #10

3/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

Upcoming Schedule
START OF THE OUTDOOR SEASON
Thu.-Sat., March 17-19 -- at Florida State Relays (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Wed.-Sat., March 23-26 -- at Florida Relays (Gainesville, Fla.)
Fri.-Sat., April 8-9 -- at Duke Invitational (Durham, N.C.)
Fri.-Sat., April 15-16 -- at Sea Ray Relays (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Fri.-Sun., April 15-17 -- at Mt. SAC Relays (Walnut, Calif.)
Sat., April 23 -- at EMU Twilight (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Thu.-Sat., April 28-30 --at Drake Relays(Des Moines, Iowa)
Fri.-Sat., May 6-7 -- Len Paddock Invitational (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Fri.-Sun., May 13-15 -- at Big Ten Outdoor Championships (Columbus, Ohio)
Fri.-Sat., May 27-28 -- at NCAA Mideast Regionals (Bloomington, Ind.)
Wed.-Sat., June 8-11 -- at NCAA Outdoor Championships (Sacramento, Calif.)

This Week: Outdoor Season Kicks Off in Florida
Michigan starts its outdoor season at the Florida State Relays, from Thursday to Saturday (March 17-19) at the Mike Long Track Complex in Tallahassee, Fla. Michigan will send a full compliment of competitors, minus it's NCAA indoor national championship distance medley relay team (freshman Nicole Edwards, senior Sierra Hauser-Price, senior/junior Theresa Feldkamp and fifth-year senior Lindsey Gallo). The Wolverines are coming off a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships and look to improve on last season's 41st-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Gallo is the only returning outdoor All-American, finishing third in the 1,500-meter run in Austin, Texas last season. Senior/junior Stephanie Linz is Michigan's other returning outdoor All-American, earning the honor in the high jump in 2003.

The FSU Relays is divided into garnet and gold sections, with the gold sections comprised of athletes with faster qualifying times and performances. The meet begins on Wednesday with day one of the heptathlon with Thursday featuring the women's garnet shot put, javelin and 5,000-meter run. The bulk of the track and field events take place on Friday (10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.) and Saturday (9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.).

NCAA Indoor Championships Recap
Michigan finished the indoor season as ther 13th-best program in the country, winning the national championship in the distance medley relay, placing fifth-year senior Lindsey Gallo third in the mile run and seeing senior/junior Stephanie Linz and freshman Alyson Kohlmeier compete in the high jump and mile respectively. Gallo anchored the Wolverines' DMR team to its first national title since 1998 with the help of freshman Nicole Edwards, senior Sierra Hauser-Price and senior/junior Theresa Feldkamp. Michigan's 13th-place finish was the third-best in school history, as was its 16-point team total.

Wolverines Win Big Ten Indoor Championships
Michigan captured its seventh indoor conference championship and its third in the last four seasons. The Wolverines are on the verge of capturing their third triple crown in program history with conferenct titles in cross country and indoor track this season.

Gallo Named Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Championship
Fifth-year Lindsey Gallo won three individual titles, taking the mile, 3,000- and 5,000-meter events, leading Michigan to its seventh indoor title in school history.

Gallo Named Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Year
Fifth-year Lindsey Gallo finished the indoor regular-season undefeated in the mile, 800-, 3,000- and 5,000-meter events, going on to win three titles at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, while running the fastest mile in the nation in 2005. Gallo is Michigan's first Big Ten athlete of the year since Nicole Forrester earned the honor in 1999.

Three Michigan Indoor Records Fall in February
Michigan's 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and indoor mile records fell in the month of February. Fifth-year senior Lindsey Gallo broke the previous indoor mile record by 1.34 seconds when she clocked in at 4:37.97 at the Meyo Invitational (Feb. 5). Gallo holds three U-M records (indoor mile, outdoor 800m, 1,500m) and was a member of Michigan's record-setting outdoor 4x800-meter relay team in 2004. Senior Sierra Hauser-Price broke Michigan's 60- and 200-meter dash records on the final day of the Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/27), running the 60-meter dash in 7.42 seconds and clocking in at 24.00 in the 200-meter dash. Three of Hauser-Price's 60-meter dash times in 2005 tied or broke the previous school best.

Sierra Hauser-Price Gives up Hoops For Indoor Immortality
Senior Sierra Hauser-Price competed for three seasons with the Michigan women's basketball team but decided in her final year to give indoor track and field a chance. She began competing in the indoor season for the first time this January and made an immediate impact on the Wolverines. Hauser-Price owns Michigan's 60- and 200-meter dash records, won a Big Ten title (200m), finished runner-up (60m dash) and won a national title at the NCAA Indoor Championships with the DMR team.

Canadian Freshmen Run Wild
Freshmen Nicole Edwards and Alyson Kohlmeier have been two of Michigan's brightest new additions this season, among the best Wolverines in the 600-, 800-, 3,000-meter and mile events. Edwards provisionally qualified for the 800-meter and mile events, while Kohlmeier ran provisional-qualifying times in the mile and 3,000-meter run. Both competed in the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships, with Kohlmeier running the mile and Edwards winning a national championship with U-M's distance medley relay team. Kohlmeier also earned All-Big Ten first team honors in the 2004 cross country season.

Captains of the Ship
Head coach James Henry selected four captains to lead the 2005 Wolverines. Fifth-year seniors Lindsey Gallo and Lynn Gasparella, senior Keri Kirk and junior/sophomore Rebecca Walter will serve as co-captains for Michigan in 2005.

Returning Champions
Michigan returns four Big Ten champions from last year's indoor and outdoor teams. Junior Katie Erdman returns after winning the 600-meter in the indoor season, joining senior/junior Theresa Feldkamp, the 800-meter indoor champion. Outdoor returning champions include junior pole vaulter Elizabeth Boyle and double Big Ten champion fifth-year senior Lindsey Gallo who is the defending 800 and 1,500-meter champion.

Recordholders Return
Seven Wolverines, holding 11 school records, return for the 2005 season. Junior Katie Erdman holds school records in the indoor 600 and 800-meter and was a member of Michigan's record-breaking 4x800-meter outdoor relay team. Fifth-year senior Lindsey Gallo returns with three records in her holster - the outdoor 800 and 1,500-meter and the indoor mile record. She also holds a chunk of the 4x800-meter outdoor relay record. Senior Sierra Hauser-Price owns Michigan's indoor 60- and 200-meter dash records.

Junior Elizabeth Boyle returns with both the indoor and outdoor pole vaulting records, while fifth-year senior Andrea Parker returns with Michigan's 3,000-meter steeplechase record. Fifth-year senior Anna Jones and senior/junior Theresa Feldkamp are the other half of Michigan's 4x800-meter outdoor relay team.