Ofili Takes Three Titles at Michigan Intercollegiates

Saturday, January 27

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

9:00 AM

Michigan

Michigan Intercollegiate

Ofili Takes Three Titles at Michigan Intercollegiates

1/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team won its 10th-straight Michigan Intecollegiate Championship thanks to six individual titles and a dominating performance from sophomore Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti),who racked up three titles and 30 points for U-M, Friday and Saturday (Jan. 26-27) at the Jack Skoog Indoor Track.

Michigan scored 178 points in its first scoring meet of the indoor season to edge Western Michigan (164.50), Central Michigan (128.50), Eastern Michigan (39), Oakland University (9) and Detroit Mercy (5). Ofili claimed the 60m dash, 60m hurdles and long jump titles to add 30 points to Michigan's total, while Wolverine competitors in the 800- and 3,000m run -- along with U-M's jumpers and pole vaulters -- dominated their events.

Ofili clocked in at 7.62 in the 60m dash, 8.43 in the 60m hurdles (an NCAA provisional qualifying time) and soared to a Michigan Intercollegiate record, personal-best and Michigan season-best 20-3 3/4 in the long jump.

Junior Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey) took first place in the 800m run with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:08.33, setting a new Jack Skoog Indoor Track and Michigan Intercollegiate record in the event. Senior/junior Laura Glynn (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison) took first in the 3,000m run (9:48.91), and sophomore captain Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich./Farmington) won the high jump, clearing a U-M season-best 5-8. Michigan's distance medley relay team also claimed first place, clocking in at 12:13.62.

Michigan took one-two-three finishes in the 800m run to earn 24 points; Edwards topped the podium in her first 800m run of the season, followed by freshman Jennie Biewald (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest) who clocked in at 2:13.83, and sophomore Amber Hay(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) took third in 2:13.96.

The first four athletes across the finish line in the 3,000m run wore Maize and Blue, led by Glynn's 9:48.91 in her first 3,000m event of the year, followed by fifth-year senior captains Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett) with a personal-best 9:49.24 and Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves) (9:59.64). Junior/sophomore Natasha Luppov (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) finished fourth in 9:59.81 to punctuate Michigan's dominance in the event, but the Wolverines could only count their top three finishers, adding 24 points to their total.

Michigan's jumpers picked up 16 points in the long jump and 15 points in the high jump thanks to Ofili's first-place finish in the long jump and Wade's first-place finish in the high jump. Sophomore Casey Taylor (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) placed fourth in the long jump (18-10 1/2) and Wade took fifth with a jump of 18-6 1/2, while sophomore/freshman Olivia Both (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) took third in the high jump with a clearance of 5-4 1/4, tying her personal-best.

U-M added 16 points to its total in the pole vault, with a pair of Wolverines tying for second place and sophomore/freshman Sarah Conkle (Bellaire, Mich./Bellaire) taking fifth place. Fifth-year senior captain Kristin Pearson (Escanaba, Mich./Escanaba) and junior/sophomore Jennifer Mehl (Novi, Mich./Novi) tied for second place with clearances of 11-5 3/4, while Conkle also cleared 11-5 3/4 in a judged final.

In the pentathlon, Michigan placed its entrants two-three with the unrelated duo of junior/sophomore Samantha Smith (South Lyon, Mich./South Lyon) and sophomore Joi Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) scoring 14 points for the Wolverines thanks to Samantha's second-place, personal-best 3,336-point total, and Joi's third-place, personal-best 3,315-point result. Joi also added a fifth-place result in the 60m hurdles, clocking in at 9.04 to add two points to the U-M total.

Other notable individual finishers included sophomore/freshman Kelly Sampson (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance), who took second place in the mile run with a personal-best 5:09.43 for eight points, and senior thrower Bridgette Maynard (Clawson, Mich./Bishop Foley), who garnered six points for the Wolverines with a fourth-place finish in the weight throw -- a personal-best toss of  54-3 3/4 -- and a fifth-place finish in the shot put (42-7 1/2).

Michigan will next compete in the Meyo Classic on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 2-3) on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

Team Rankings Points
1. MICHIGAN 178
2. Western Michigan 164.50 3. Central Michigan 128.50 4. Eastern Michigan 39 5. Oakland University 9
6. Detroit Mercy 5

Day-One (Jan. 26)
Pentathlon 1. Shanna Tamminga,Central Michigan 3,425 Pts. 2. Samantha Smith, U-M 3,336 Pts. 3. Joi Smith, U-M 3,315 Pts. Day-Two (Jan. 27)

60 Meter Dash (Finals) 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 7.62 200 Meter Dash (Finals) 1. Najah Floyd,Central Michigan 25.12 5. Shana Vinson, U-M 26.22 7. Chanelle Campbell, U-M 26.34 10. Charnee Lumbus, U-M 26.77 400 Meter Dash 1. Becky Horn,Western Michigan 55.24$
4. Chanelle Campbell, U-M 57.35 5. Serita Williams, U-M 58.00 8. Katie LaValley, U-M 58.22 11. Kiana Stringfield, U-M x59.89 Mile Run 1. Kristi Powers, Western Michigan 5:09.11 2. Kelly Sampson, U-M 5:09.43 5. Alysha Valencia, U-M 5:22.45 800-Meter Run 1. Nicole Edwards, U-M 2:08.33#$ 2. Jennifer Biewald, U-M 2:13.83 3. Amber Hay, U-M 2:13.96 3,000-Meter Run 1. Laura Glynn, U-M 9:48.91 2. Arianne Field, U-M 9:49.24 3. Rebecca Walter, U-M 9:59.64 4. Natasha Luppov, U-M x9:59.81 5,000-Meter Run 1. Katie Kelel, Western Michigan 18:04.93 5. Allison Nesbitt, U-M 18:22.55 60-Meter Hurdles 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 8.43# 5. Joi Smith, U-M 9.04 6. Charnee Lumbus, U-M 9.07 4x400-Meter Relay 1. Western Michigan 'A' 3:44.72 3. U-M 'A' 3:50.83 Distance Medley Relay 1. U-M 'A' 12:13.62 High Jump 1. Bettie Wade, U-M 5-8 (1.73m) 3. Olivia Both, U-M 5-4 1/4 (1.63m) 9. Christina Solomon, U-M 5-0 1/4 (1.53m) Pole Vault 1. Janice Keppler, Eastern 11-11 3/4 (3.65m) 2. Kristin Pearson, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) Jen Mehl, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) 5. Sarah Conkle, U-M J11-5 3/4 (3.50m) 8. Kelly Catino, U-M xJ11-5 3/4 (3.50m) Long Jump 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 20-3 3/4 (6.19m)! 4. Casey Taylor, U-M 18-10 1/2 (5.75m) 5. Bettie Wade, U-M 18-6 1/2 (5.65m) 7. Samantha Smith, U-M x18-4 1/4 (5.59m) Triple Jump 1. Jackie Smart, Central Michigan 42-8 3/4 (13.02m)! 4. Casey Taylor, U-M 38-0 1/4 (11.59m) Shot Put 1. Kristalyn Mauch, Western Michigan 48-10 1/4 (14.89m) 5. Bridgett Maynard , U-M 42-7 1/2 (12.99m) 7. Bettie Wade, U-M 40-9 1/2 (12.43m) 10. Anna Wilson, U-M 38-4 (11.68m) Weight Throw 1. Kristalyn Mauch, Western Michigan 59-6 1/4 (18.14m)! 4. Bridgett Maynard, U-M 54-3 3/4 (16.55m) 9. Anna Wilson,U-M 44-9 1/2 (13.65m)