Michigan
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Pair of Silver Medals Headlines Opening Day at Big Tens
2/25/2021 8:11:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Geneva, Ohio. (SPIRE Institute)
Event: Big Ten Indoor Championships (Day 1 of 3)
U-M Result: 3rd of 13 teams (25 points)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 26 -- Big Ten Indoor Championships - Day Two (Geneva, Ohio), 3:30 p.m.
• Complete Results (PDF)
GENEVA, Ohio -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team captured a pair of silver-medal finishes to get things rolling on the first of three days at the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Thursday (Feb. 25) at the SPIRE Institute.
Ericka VanderLende was the runner-up at the 3,000-meter distance in one of the fastest times in school history, while the quartet of Alice Hill, Ziyah Holman, Lauren Fulcher and Katelynne Hart came within .07 seconds of getting the win in a distance medley relay that came right down to the wire.
VanderLende was not alone in her race, either; she was one of three Wolverines to finish top-eight -- along with fourth-place Kathryn House and seventh-place Samantha Tran -- to score points for the team. Also adding points to Michigan's column was seventh-place weight thrower Courtney Jacobsen.
All told, Michigan finished the opening day of competition with 25 points, good for third in the standings after four of 18 events scored. Only Minnesota with 37 and Nebraska with 26 are ahead of the Wolverines.
Sixty percent of those points came courtesy of VanderLende, House and Tran in the 3,000 meters. VanderLende battled and led Minnesota's Bethany Hasz for much of the race, but ultimately crossed second in 9:12.45, six seconds back. Only three women in school history have ever gone faster than VanderLende in this event.
House notched a significant 10.45-second improvement on her previous career best at this distance to place fourth in 9:21.31. Tran also took a big step forward with an 8.81-second gain on her previous best for seventh in 9:25.08. Teammate Kayla Windemuller came up just three seconds shy of the top eight, placing 10th in a career-best 9:28.01.
VanderLende notched eight points for the effort, House added five and Tran chipped in two more.
Michigan came within fractions of a second of defending its distance medley relay crown, but ultimately fell to Minnesota to settle for the silver medal in a time of 11:10.12. After Minnesota and Indiana opened up an early lead on the Wolverines, Holman ripped off one of her signature comebacks on the 400-meter leg to get Michigan right back into contention.
Fulcher kept the Wolverines right near the front over the course of her 800-meter leg before handing off to Hart for 1,600-meter anchor duties. Hart answered a move by Minnesota to the lead with less than 500 meters to go and swung wide coming off the final turn a lap later in an attempt to power past the Golden Gopher, but her finishing kick came up just .07 seconds shy of the gold.
Michigan earned eight points for the effort.
The remaining two points came courtesy of Jacobsen, who scored in the weight throw for the second-straight season. Jacobsen launched a 19.01m (62 feet, 4.5 inches) heave on her third of six attempts that ultimately held up for a top-eight finish.
The Wolverines nearly scored more points in the long jump, where Ameia Wilson finished ninth for the second time in as many years. Wilson leapt a career-best 5.77m (18-11.25) on her opening attempt, and it was enough by two centimeters to advance her to the nine-woman final.
The Big Ten Indoor Championships continue Friday (Feb. 26), beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Full Michigan Results by Event
Q = automatic qualifier to final; q = at-large qualifier to final
200-meter dash
Prelims
13. Hannah Waller / 24.58 [New PR]
3,000-meter run
Final
2. Ericka VanderLende / 9:12.45 [New PR]
4. Kathryn House / 9:21.31 [New PR]
7. Samantha Tran / 9:25.08 [New PR]
10. Kayla Windemuller / 9:28.01 [New PR]
60-meter hurdles
Prelims
19. Paige Chapman / 8.89
Distance Medley Relay
Final
2. Hill, Holman, Fulcher, Hart / 11:10.12
Long Jump
Final
9. Ameia Wilson / 5.77m (18-11.25) [New PR]
Weight Throw
Final
7. Courtney Jacobsen / 19.01m (62-4.5)
21. Erin Connor / 15.88m (52-1.25)
Players Mentioned
