Michigan Finishes Runner-up at Big Ten Outdoor Meet

Sunday, May 14

East Lansing, Mich.

Michigan

Big Ten Outdoor Championships

5/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team concluded the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 14), finishing in second place with a total of 134.67 points behind Minnesota (152.50) at the Ralph H. Young Track and Field Complex. In the day's competition the Wolverines set two records and captured a total of four event titles along with earning 10 NCAA regional qualifying standards.

Gall broke the Big Ten meet record in the 800-meter run by more than a full second.

Paving the way for the Wolverines was freshman Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) as she set a new Michigan outdoor record in the 100m hurdles with a NCAA regional qualifying personal-best time of 13.37. Ofili set a blistering time after taking the lead from the start of the gun, defeating the nearest competitor by 0.15 seconds.

Freshman Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) followed the performance with a record-setting performance of her own when she took first place in the 800-meter run with a Michigan Outdoor and Big Ten meet record time of 2:02.73. The time was also a personal-best NCAA regional qualifying mark. Also qualifying for the regionals in the 800m run was sophomore Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey) as she posted a fifth-place time of 2:07.82.

The Maize and Blue distance group continued to show its dominance within the Big Ten as it placed four harriers in the top 10 in the 5,000m run, earning a total of 24 points. The trio of senior/junior Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves), junior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) and sophomore Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's) took first, second and third, respectively, with fifth-year senior Ana Gjesdal (La Crescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) finishing in ninth place.

All four runners set regional qualifying standards, with Walter finishing in first place with a personal-best time of 16:05.18. Webster also set a personal-best time, finishing in second as she crossed the finish line at 16:06.51, with Kohlmeier coming in just 1.18 seconds behind at 16:07.69. Gjesdal rounded out the Michigan competitors at 16:36.37, falling close to eight seconds away from scoring.

Edwards also added points in the 1,500m run with a first-place personal-best time of 4:16.83. Edwards had the lead from the start, as she edged her competition by close to one second. Teammate fifth-year senior Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele) finished in ninth place with a time of 4:28.93.

Junior Chanelle Campbell (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock) also earned points for the team, as she took third place in the 400m run with a personal-best time of 54.65, with sophomore Serita Williams (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee) finishing in seventh place with a personal-best time of 55.56.

In the 400-meter hurdles, freshmen Katie LaValley (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central) and Amber Hay (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Both Wolverines qualified for the regionals, as LaValley set a personal-best time of 59.45, while Hay clocked in at 1:00.56.

In relay action, Michigan took fourth and sixth place in the 4x400m (3:42.99) and 4x100m (46.81) relays, respectively.

The Wolverines will continue postseason action as they compete in the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships on Friday and Saturday (May 26-27) in Knoxville, Tenn.

Final Team Standings

 1. Minnesota 152.50 2. MICHIGAN 134.67 3. Penn State 115 4. Illinois 104.67 5. Ohio State 66 6. Purdue 53.33 7. Indiana 52 8. Iowa 49.33 9. Wisconsin 48.50 10. Michigan State 41

Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 3)

100-Meter Hurdles 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 13.37!# 400-Meter Hurdles 1. Camile Robinson, Illinois 57.79# 4. Katie LaValley, U-M 59.45# 5. Amber Hay, U-M 1:00.56# 800-Meter Run 1. Geena Gall, U-M 2:02.73!%# 5. Nicole Edwards, U-M 2:07.82# 400-Meter Dash 1. Shana Cox, Penn State 52.57# 3. Chanelle Campbell, U-M 54.65 7. Serita Williams, U-M 55.56 1,500-Meter Run 1. Nicole Edwards, U-M 4:16.83# 9. Theresa Feldkamp, U-M 4:28.93 5,000-Meter Run 1. Rebecca Walter, U-M 16:05.18# 2. Erin Webster, U-M 16:06.51# 3. Alyson Kohlmeier, U-M 16:07.69# 9. Ana Gjesdal, U-M 16:36.37# 4x400-Meter Relay 1. Penn State 3:36.95# 4. MICHIGAN 3:42.99 4x100 Meter Relay 1. Penn State 45.18# 6. MICHIGAN 46.81 Triple Jump 1. Taren James, MSU 40-6 1/4# (12.35m) 12. Casey Taylor, U-M 38-2 1/4 (11.64m) Discus Throw 1. Jennifer Leatherman, PSU 167-8# (51.10m) 14. Melissa Gurchinoff, U-M 133-0 (40.53m) 17. Jamie Barbour, U-M 129-2 (39.36m) High Jump 1. Jessie Stringer, OSU 5-10# (1.78m) 5. Bettie Wade, U-M 5-7 (1.70m) -- Beth Vinckier, U-M NH ! Michigan Outdoor Record % Big Ten Meet Record # NCAA Regional Qualifying Standard