Willard, Wade Win Big Ten Titles; Michigan in Third

Saturday, May 12

State College, Pa.

9:00 AM

Michigan

Big Ten Outdoor Championships

5/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team moved up to third place (37 points) Saturday (May 12) on day two of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Nittany Lion Track. Sophomore co-captain Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich./Farmington HS) and graduate/senior Anna Willard (Greenwood, Maine/Telstar Regional HS) led U-M, capturing Big Ten titles in the heptathlon and 3,000m steeplechase, respectively.

In her first-ever Big Ten championship meet, Willard ran in her first 3,000m steeplechase race of the year, posting a career-best, NCAA regional qualifying, Big Ten meet/U-M outdoor record time of 9:57.90. Fifth-year senior co-captain Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett HS) added two points to U-M's score with a seventh-place finish, clocking in with a season-best, NCAA regional qualifying time of 10:30.02. Willard is the first-ever Michigan runner to claim the 3,000m steeplechase conference title.

Wade entered the second day of the heptathlon with a 39 point advantage and was just three points shy of the day one Big Ten heptathlon point total. The sophomore co-captain added points to her day one total by taking first place in the long jump with a career-best, NCAA regional qualifying standard of 19-9 1/2. Wade closed the day with a first-place, career-best, NCAA automatic qualifying tally of 5,722 points -- nearly 100 points more than the second-place finisher. Junior/sophomore Samantha Smith (South Lyon, Mich./South Lyon HS) placed ninth with a career-best of 4,328 points. Wade is U-M's first heptathlon conference champion since 1998, when Tania Longe accomplished the task.

The Wolverines also made a strong effort to give themselves an opportunity for more points in Sunday's final day (May 13), qualifying one relay and nine individuals in five different events. U-M posted the most qualifying times in the 1,500-meter run, advancing four runners to the finals. Fifth-year senior co-captain Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS) automatically qualified for the finals with the quickest time in the second heat, clocking in at 4:27.69. Willard, sophomore Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) and junior Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey HS) also automatically qualified for the finals with top-three finishes in their respective heats. Willard posted the second-fastest time in heat three, clocking in at 4:23.42. Gall posted the second-quickest time in heat two (4:28.14), while Edwards earned the third-fastest time in heat three (4:21.74).

Gall and Erdman were the lone Wolverines to qualify for the finals in the 800m run with the second and fourth-fastest times, respectively. Gall clocked in with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 2:06.55, while Erdman crossed the finish line in 2:08.63 -- also a regional qualifying standard. Sophomore Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS) will move on to the finals in the 100m dash after earning the fastest time in her heat -- an 11.95 mark -- which is the second-fastest time overall. Ofili pulled double-duty as she also punched her ticket to the finals in the 100m hurdles with the fastest time, an NCAA regional qualifying standard of 13.34.

In more hurdles action, sophomore Katie LaValley (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) earned a place in the 400m hurdles final with a season-best, NCAA regional qualifying time of 59.62 -- the fifth-quickest time overall.

In her first-ever Big Ten Outdoor Championships, sophomore/freshman Shana Vinson (Detroit, Mich./Mumford HS) advanced to the 400m dash finals with a career-best time of 55.58.

Michigan advanced its 4x100m relay squad to the finals with the eighth-quickest time, clocking in at 47.14.

The Wolverines will conclude the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in State College, Pa., with the third day of competition on Sunday (May 13). Action is slated to begin at 11:40 a.m. with the triple jump.

Team Standings (After Day Two)

  1. Minnesota           62  2. Purdue              43  3. MICHIGAN            37  4. Penn State          36  5. Indiana             31  6. Michigan State      24  7. Illinois            23  8. Iowa                22  9. Wisconsin           21 10. Ohio State          13

Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 2)

Heptathlon (Final) 1. Bettie Wade, U-M                     5722* Pts.     100m H: 13.88; HJ: 5-11 1/4 (1.81m); SP: 42-1 1/4 (12.83m)       200m: 25.14; LJ: 19-9 1/2 (6.03m); JT: 110-4 (33.63m); 800m: 2:26.19
 9. Samantha Smith, U-M                  4328     100m H: 14.64; HJ: 4-10 1/4 (1.48m); SP: 30-0 (9.14m)       200m: 26.03; LJ: 17-9 1/2 (5.42m); JT: 71-5 (21.78m); 800m: 2:40.044x100-meter Relay (Prelims) 1. Indiana                             45.22#Q 8. Michigan                            47.14q     (Casey Taylor, Tiffany Ofili       Charneé Lumbus, Chanelle Campbell)
1,500-meter Run (Prelims) 1. Emily Brown, Minnesota            4:21.72#Q 3. Katie Erdman, U-M                 4:27.69#Q 5. Anna Willard, U-M                 4:23.42#Q 6. Geena Gall, U-M                   4:28.14Q 7. Nicole Edwards, U-M               4:21.74#Q
400-meter Dash (Prelims) 1. Kineke Alexander, Iowa              52.23#Q 9. Shana Vinson, U-M                   55.58q21. Serita Williams, U-M                58.87--  Chanelle Campbell, U-M                DNS
100-meter Dash (Prelims) 1. Yvonne Mensah, Illinois             11.92Q 2. Tiffany Ofili, U-M                  11.95Q13. Casey Taylor, U-M                   12.58
100-meter Hurdles (Prelims) 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M                  13.34#Q13. Samantha Smith, U-M                 14.6615. Charnee Lumbus, U-M                 14.85
800-meter Run (Prelims) 1. Heather Dorniden, Minnesota       2:06.29#Q 2. Geena Gall, U-M                   2:06.55#Q 4. Katie Erdman, U-M                 2:08.63#Q12. Kelly Sampson, U-M                2:12.7913. Eileen Creutz, U-M                2:13.07
200-meter Run (Prelims)
 1. Tiara Armstrong, Illinois           23.98Q12. Shana Vinson, U-M                   25.27--  Chanelle Campbell, U-M                DNS
400-meter Hurdles (Prelims) 1. Camile Robinson, Illinois           58.49#Q 5. Katie LaValley, U-M                 59.62#Q19. Kiana Stringfield, U-M            1:06.16
Shot Put (Final) 1. Sheena James, Purdue             52-5 1/4# (15.98m)16. Bridgette Maynard, U-M           41-4 1/2  (12.61m)
Long Jump (Final) 1. Lorian Price, Indiana            21-2 1/2# (6.46m)11. Bettie Wade, U-M                 19-2      (5.84m)15. Samantha Smith, U-M              18-5      (5.61m)17. Tiffany Ofili, U-M               18-1 1/2  (5.52m)20. Casey Taylor, U-M                17-5 1/4  (5.31m)
3,000-meter Steeplechase (Final) 1. Anna Willard, U-M                 9:57.90#%M 7. Arianne Field, U-M               10:30.02#
% U-M Outdoor RecordM Big Ten Meet Record# NCAA Regional Qualifying Standard
Qq Qualification to Final Round* NCAA Automatic Qualifying Standard@ NCAA Provisional Qualifying Standard