Michigan
Drake Relays
Michigan Claims Two Relay Titles on Third Day at Drake
4/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On the third day of competition at the Drake Relays, the University of Michigan women's track and field team followed yesterday's regional qualifying performances with two more NCAA regional qualifying marks (3,000m steeplechase and 400m hurdles) as well as claiming the distance medley relay and 4x800m relay titles on Friday (April 28) in Drake Stadium.
The Wolverines claimed the distance medley relay title in the university section with a time of 11:06.13, just 0.12 seconds shy of the Michigan outdoor record time of 11:06.01 set in 1999. The DMR team was made up of sophomore Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario./St. Patrick's), junior Chanelle Campbell (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock), senior/junior Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) and sophomore Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey).
Erdman and Edwards pulled double duty as they closed out the 4x800m relay (university section), regaining the title Michigan lost to Arkansas last year. The Maize and Blue clocked a first-place time of 8:39.59, which was 6.23 seconds short of the Michigan outdoor record time they posted last year. The only new addition to last year's record-setting relay team was freshman Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), as she took the baton on the second leg. Fifth-year senior Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele) ran the first leg, while Edwards and Erdman switched rolls from the DMR squad, running third and fourth, respectively.
In the 3,000m steeplechase senior/junior Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett) took fifth place as she posted a personal-best time of 10:25.86, breaking her old personal best of 10:40.26, which she posted at the 2005 NCAA Mideast Regional. This is the second year Field has regionally qualified in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Freshman Katie LaValley (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central) was the first Wolverine to cross the finish line in the 400m hurdles, taking10th place with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 1:00.43. This is the fourth time LaValley has reached the qualifying mark. Also in the 400m hurdles, freshman Amber Hay (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) came in 14th place with a personal-best time of 1:00.94, breaking her old personal-best time of 1:01.03. Hay was 0.12 seconds shy of qualifying for the NCAA Mideast Regional.
Senior/junior Kelly Catino (Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City) led the Wolverines in the field events with a 13th-place finish in the pole vault with a clearance of 11-11 3/4.
Closing out the Wolverine track competitors on the second day was freshman Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti), as she took sixth place in the 100m hurdles prelims with a time of 13.92 and qualified for the finals. The 100m hurdles finals are slated for a start time of 1:42 p.m. CDT Saturday.
The Wolverines close out competition at the Drake Relays on Saturday, beginning with the shuttle hurdle relay at 8:11 a.m. CDT.
Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 3)
3,000-meter Steeplechase 1. Amanda Kuca, Concordia (Wis.) 10:11.11# 5. Arianne Field, U-M 10:25.86# 100-meter Hurdles (Preliminaries) 1. Priscilla Lopes, Nebraska 13.74Q 6. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 13.92q 21. Joi Smith, U-M 14.53 -- Bettie Wade, U-M DNS 400-meter Hurdles 1. Camile Robinson, Illinois 58.33# 10. Katie LaValley, U-M 1:00.43# 14. Amber Hay, U-M 1:00.94 Distance Medley Relay (University) 1. Michigan 11:06.13 (Alyson Kohlmeier, Chanelle Campbell, Katie Erdman, Nicole Edwards) 4x800-Meter Relay (University) 1. Michigan 8:39.59 (Theresa Feldkamp, Geena Gall, Nicole Edwards, Katie Erdman) Pole Vault 1. Angie Aguilar, Abilene Christian 12-11 1/2# (3.95m) 13. Kelly Catino, U-M 11-11 3/4 (3.65m) 19. Kristin Pearson, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) -- Elizabeth Boyle, U-M DNS -- Jennifer Mehl, U-M DNS # NCAA Regional Qualifying Standard
N O T E S
The distance medley relay squad was just shy of U-M outdoor record by 0.12 seconds, with a first-place time of 11:06.13. This is the third year in a row the Wolverines have claimed the DMR title at the Drake Relays. Katie Erdman and Nicole Edwards were on last year's winning DMR along with graduates Sierra Hauser-Price and Lindsey Gallo.
Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
