Woods, Whitehead Win Titles; U-M Fourth at Big Tens

Sunday, February 26

Iowa City, Iowa

Michigan

Big Ten Indoor Championships (Day 2)

2/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Sophomore Mike Woods (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) and junior Michael Whitehead (East Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area HS) captured the mile and triple jump titles, respectively, on Sunday (February 26) to lead the University of Michigan men's track and field team at the Big Ten Conference Indoor Championships at the University of Iowa Recreational Building. Behind the performances of 12 different scorers in nine events, the Wolverines took fourth place (76 points), while Wisconsin won the team competition, capturing its fourth consecutive title with 124.5 points.

Woods clocked a time of 4:14.26 to claim his first career Big Ten title and boast a substanial improvement over an eighth-place finish at last season's indoor meet. With U-M freshman Justin Switzer (Waterford, Mich./Kettering HS) leading the early stages of the mile race and taking the pack through the opening 800 meters at a leisurely 2:16 pace, Woods hung in the middle -- within strking distance of the front -- as the eight-man field remained tightly bunched together.

The Wolverine sophomore sprinted to the front at the halfway point, quickly stringing out the field as he put an immediate and substanial gap on the nearest competitor. Closing with a 1:24 split over the final 600 meters, Woods was able to jog across the finish line, crossing nearly a second ahead of runner-up Ben Gregory of Wisconsin. Switzer claimed fourth in the race with a time of 4:15.29, just 0.02 seconds out of the third position.

It was also the first Big Ten crown for Whitehead, who captured Michigan's first indoor conference title in a field event in 12 years. The U-M junior registered a mark of 51-3 3/4 -- his third NCAA provisional qualifying performance in as many attempts this season -- to better the 15-man field by three inches. Whitehead hit the winning jump on his first attempt in the qualifying round and held on to capture the victory. The Wolverine has placed among the top five in his five career Big Ten meet appearances with his previous best finish being third on a pair of occasions.

Junior Jeff Porter (Somerset, N.J./Franklin HS) claimed runner-up status in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking 7.87 to earn his fourth NCAA provisional qualifying time of the season. Running in the center lane, Porter rallied from a slow start to pull among the leaders down the straight but was nipped at the finish line by Purdue's Ricky Pinckney, who won the race at 7.83.

Freshman Adam Harris (Wheaton, Ill./North HS) and junior Stann Waithe (Towson, Md./Loch Raven HS) picked up scoring performances in the sprint events, claiming fourth place in the 60- and 400-meter dashes, respectively. Harris clocked 6.83 in his first career Big Ten final, matching his time from yesterday's trials session, the second-best showing of his season. Running in the second and faster heat, Waithe recorded a time of 48.26 out of the sixth lane to earn his fifth career top-five individual finish against Big Ten competition.

Waithe also anchored the Wolverines' 4x400-meter relay to third place, matching the quartet's finish at both of last season's conference meets. Adding freshman Andre Barnes (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS), sophomore Andrew Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby HS) and junior captain John D'Arcy (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont HS), the foursome recorded a time of 3:13.35 in the second and faster of two sections.

In addition to Whitehead's individual crown, Michigan earned several additional strong scoring performances in the field-event categories as senior captain Brad Miller (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) claimed fourth place in the high jump, while freshmen Brendan Lodge (Narragansett, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) and Sean Pruitt (Cato, Wis./Valders HS) placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the weight throw.

Falling just a half inch shy of his personal best in the event, Miller cleared 6-11 to register his best career finish at the conference meet. The U-M captain had a good look at seven feet but just nipped the bar with his calf as he came down. Lodge and Pruitt combined for five points in their first Big Ten meet appearances as Lodge posted a mark of 58-4 3/4 and Pruitt claimed a personal-best 58-4 1/4.

The Wolverines have a last-chance opportunity to qualify competitors for the NCAA Indoor Championships next Friday and Saturday (March 3-4) at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind.

Final Team Standings

 1. Wisconsin 124.5 2. Minnesota 94 3. Illinois 93 4. MICHIGAN 76 5. Indiana 72 6. Ohio State 64 7. Iowa 49 8. Penn State 46.5 9. Michigan State 43 10. Purdue 40

Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 2)

60-meter Dash 1. Demi Omole, Wisconsin 6.70# 4. Adam Harris, U-M 6.83 60-meter Hurdles 1. Ricky Pinckney, Purdue 7.83# 2. Jeff Porter, U-M 7.86# 200-meter Dash 1. David Neville, Indiana 21.21# 400-meter Dash 1. David Neville, Illinois 47.11# 4. Stann Waithe, U-M 48.26 9. Andre Barnes, U-M 49.16 600-meter Run 1. Trammel Smith, Illinois 1:17.22 8. Andrew Wechter, U-M 1:19.22 9. John D'Arcy, U-M 1:21.82 800-meter Run 1. Trent Riter, Minnesota 1:51.22 Mile Run 1. Mike Woods, U-M 4:14.26 4. Justin Switzer, U-M 4:15.29 5,000-meter Run 1. Chris Solinsky, Wisconsin 13:51.34#% 10. Lex Williams, U-M 14:32.62 22. Seth Thibodeau, U-M 15:02.82 4x400-meter Relay 1. Illinois 3:12.05 3. Michigan 3:13.35 (Andre Barnes, Andrew Wechter, John D'Arcy, Stann Waithe) High Jump 1. Kevin Netzer, Minnesota 7-1 1/2# (2.17m) 4. Brad Miller, U-M 6-11 (2.11m) Triple Jump 1. Michael Whitehead, U-M 51-3 3/4# (15.64m) Weight Throw 1. Leonard Jatsek, Ohio State 68-2 1/4# (20.78m) 6. Brendan Lodge, U-M 58-4 3/4 (17.82m) 7. Sean Pruitt, U-M 58-4 1/2 (17.79m) 14. Chris McHugh, U-M 54-5 1/2 (16.60m) 19. Dan Bedoya, U-M 50-0 1/2 (15.25m) Heptathlon 1. Nathan Brown, Wisconsin 5,304 pts. % Big Ten meet record * NCAA automatic qualifier # NCAA provisional qualifier