Michigan
EMU Twilight
Michigan Earns Two Regional Qualifying Marks at EMU
4/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team earned two NCAA regional qualifying standards at the EMU Twilight on Saturday (April 22) at Olds-Marshall Track.
Freshmen Casey Taylor (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Katie LaValley (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central) led the way, with Taylor earning her first regional qualifying standard in the long jump with a career-best leap of 20-0 and LaValley earning her regional qualifying mark in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best 59.53 for first place. LaValley edged her nearest competition by close to a second. Also in the 400m hurdles, freshmen Amber Hay (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) took third with a personal-best 1:01.03 and Joi Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) placed 10th (1:04.32).
Continuing in hurdling action, freshmen Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) and Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich./Farmington) took first and fifth place, respectively, in the 100m hurdles. Ofili claimed the 100m hurdles title with a time of 13.94, just 0.02 seconds shy of earning her second regional qualifying mark, while Wade came in at 14.59.
In the 200m dash, junior Chanelle Campbell (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock) claimed first place with a season-best time of 24.41. Ofili made her 200m debut with a fifth-place time of 25.11.
Sophomore Serita Williams (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monroe) led the Maize and Blue in the 400m dash with a personal-best time of 56.41 for third place, while junior Jenifer Horn (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln) took eighth place with a season-best time 57.67.
Rounding out the Michigan competitors were senior/junior Monica Dunn (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) and sophomore/freshman Lisa Montgomery (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson) as they took 11th and 14th place, respectively in the 800m run. Dunn finished 11th with a time of 2:19.19, while Montgomery came in 14th (2:21.24).
The Wolverines will get back on the road as they travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete in the Drake Relays on Thursday through Saturday (April 27-29) at Drake Stadium.
Event Winners/U-M Finishes
200-meter Dash 1. Chanelle Campbell, U-M 24.41 5. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 25.11 17. Samantha Smith, U-M 26.88 400-meter Dash 1. Okechi Ogbuokiri, Notre Dame 54.65 3. Serita Williams, U-M 56.41 8. Jennifer Horn, U-M 57.67 800-meter Run 1. Aimee Keenan, Michigan State 2:08.92# 11. Monica Dunn, U-M 2:19.19 14. Lisa Montgomery, U-M 2:21.24 1,500-meter Run 1. Jenny Irwin, Ferris State 4:24.13# 17. Lisa Uiblie, U-M 5:00.09 ex. Claire Otwell, U-M 4:40.71 100-meter Hurdles Preliminaries 1. Shomarie Giscombe, EMU 13.96Q ex. Beth Vinckier, U-M 15.21 100 Meter Hurdles Finals 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 13.94 5. Bettie Wade, U-M 14.59 400-meter Hurdles 1. Katie LaValley, U-M 59.53# 3. Amber Hay, U-M 1:01.03 10. Joi Smith, U-M 1:04.32 High Jump 1. Stacey Cowan, Notre Dame 5-8 3/4# (1.75m) ex. Beth Vinckier, U-M 5-1 (1.55m) ex. Bettie Wade, U-M 5-7 (1.70m) Pole Vault 1. Kate Matoon, Notre Dame 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) ex. Kelly Catino, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) ex. Elizabeth Boyle, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) ex. Kristin Pearson, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) ex. Jennifer Mehl, U-M 10-11 3/4 (3.35m) Long Jump 1. Elan Pessoa, Toledo 19-0 (5.79m) ex. Casey Taylor, U-M 20-0 1/2 (6.11m) ex. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 19-6 3/4 (5.96m) ex. Samantha Smith, U-M 17-3 1/4 (5.26m) ex. Beth Vinckier, U-M 16-11 1/2 (5.17m) Shot Put 1. Anna Weber, Notre Dame 43-5 1/4 (13.24m) ex. Jamie Barbour, U-M 43-0 1/2 (13.12m) ex. Melissa Gurchinoff, U-M 33-3 (10.13m) Discus Throw 1. Meghan Horn, Notre Dame 139-4 (42.46m) ex. Jamie Barbour, U-M 130-2 (39.68m) ex. Melissa Gurchinoff, U-M 109-1 (33.24m) Hammer Throw 1. Maite Cortin, EMU 157-1 (47.89m) ex. Jamie Barbour, U-M 165-6 (50.44m) ex. Melissa Gurchinoff, U-M 139-5 (42.50m) Javelin Throw 1. Krista Switzer, Detroit 126-10 (39.51m) ex. Louise Reina, U-M 116-1 (35.39m) ex. Beth Vinckier, U-M 96-4 (29.37m) ex. Samantha Smith, U-M 94-9 (28.88m) ex. Bettie Wade, U-M 70-10 (21.59m) #NCAA Regional Qualifying Standard
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach James Henry
On the top performers ... "Well, I was pleased with both of my hurdlers, they looked good in the sense that they won the race, but it wasn't a very good technical race. But I was pleased that they still ran well, and that's what I want to see sometimes, that when you don't look good you still run well and that's what they did. I was probably most pleased with Casey Taylor for jumping 20 feet in the long jump, qualifying her for the regional championships."
On the expectations heading into the meet ... "Well, we're trying to work through the meet. The girls look a little tired with some soreness here and there, but the goal is to keep them healthy, get some good competition in and get ready for the final big meet, the Drake Relays."
On how this meet helps the team prepare for the big meets ... "It helps because it's close, we don't have to worry about the travel and the preparation because its right down the road. Also Eastern provides good competition in every event that we're contesting, so it's a good tuneup for us before the Big Tens."
On the expectations for the Drake Relays ... "We want to get a final tuneup in. It's a relay meet, so we want to get some performances in to take some of the pressure off the individual events and come out of that meet healthy and get ready for the Big Tens."
Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
