Michigan
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Steeplechasers Lead Way for Wolverine Women on Day Two of Big Tens
5/14/2022 9:41:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium)
Event: Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Day Two
U-M Result: T7th of 13 teams (22 points)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, May 15 -- at Big Ten Outdoor Championships - Day Three (Minneapolis, Minn.), 11 a.m. CDT
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Headlined by silver medalist distance runner Kayla Windemuller, the University of Michigan women's track and field team converted on six scoring opportunities in a strong showing on the second of three days at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Saturday (May 14) at the University of Minnesota Track and Field Stadium.
Windemuller teamed with Alice Hill to score 12 team points in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, powering the Wolverines to a two-day total of 22 points. They enter the final day tied for seventh in the team standings with Indiana, and within striking distance of several teams ahead of them.
Michigan got additional points from fourth-place long jumper Ameia Wilson (five points), the heptathlon duo of seventh-place Theresa Mayanja (two points) and eighth-place Clare McNamara (one point), and seventh-place discus thrower Corinne Jemison (two points).
In addition to the points scored Saturday, the Wolverines advanced from Saturday's qualifying rounds to Sunday's finals a trio of potential champions in defending 400-meter champion Ziyah Holman, defending 800-meter champion Aurora Rynda and indoor silver medal hurdler Aasia Laurencin.
Michigan's biggest points haul of the weekend so far came in the final event of the day, as Windemuller capped the day with a hard-fought 10:02.49 for the silver medal and Hill clocked a significant season's best 10:18.50 to take fifth.
Windemuller ran with the lead group and at times briefly took the lead throughout the race, which whittled down to a one-on-one battle with top-seeded Alicia Niggeman of Wisconsin for the better part of a full kilometer. Only with less than a lap to go did Niggeman start to create separation, but Windemuller ceded little ground in the closing stages.
For Hill, herself a former medalist in this event, the time will go a long way toward advancing her to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, reserved for the top-48 individuals in each event in the NCAA East Region, and extending her collegiate career at least one more meet.
Through four rounds, Wilson looked to be in position to improve on her indoor silver medal from the winter as she took the lead with a 6.08m (19 feet, 11.25 inches) leap that put her on top of the leaderboard.
The mark proved to be her best of the day, as she was bypassed by a pair of Ohio State Buckeyes in the fifth round and an Indiana Hoosier -- by just one centimeter -- in the final round.
Still, it was enough to provide Michigan a boost in the team standings with five valuable team points.
Jemison topped out with a 53.09m (174 feet, 2 inches) heave in the third round to put her into fifth place heading into the final three rounds of throwing. The mark stood up through the next two rounds for sixth place, and, like Wilson, she was displaced an additional spot in the final round.
In the deep field, Jemison emerged with two points, and will look to contend with an even deeper cadre of throwers in Sunday's shot put final.
The duo of Mayanja and McNamara combined for three points with respective seventh- and eighth-place finishes. Mayanja finished the two-day, seven-event competition with a score of 4,882 points, followed closely by McNamara with a career-best 4,826 points after starting the day in 11th overall.
Both women were relatively solid in the long jump with marks of 5.29m (17-4.25, +3.0m/s) and 4.93m (16-2, +3.2m/s) for McNamara and Mayanja. McNamara also led the way for Michigan in the javelin at 33.74m (110-8) with Mayanja checking in at 32.76m (107-6), both top-five in the field. McNamara was the fourth across the line in the 800-meter finale in 2:23.29 to move up from ninth to eighth overall, while Mayanja held on to seventh with a 2:34.09.
In qualifying action, Holman posted the fastest time of the day at 400 meters with a 52.61-second performance that marked the first step on the road toward winning her second straight Big Ten Outdoor 400-meter crown and her fourth straight between indoors and outdoors.
Reigning 800-meter champion Rynda survived with a 2:08.62 run at 800 meters. In addition to needing to run fast to win or score big points in the final, Rynda is also still looking for a qualifying time for the NCAA East Prelims. A time south of 2:06.00 should give her relative safety on that front, though she will be looking to go faster.
Indoor 60-meter hurdles silver medalist Laurencin is in position to seek an outdoor 100-meter hurdles medal for her burgeoning collection, after clocking 13.47 (+2.8m/s) for the fourth-fastest qualifying time of the day.
Sunday's (May 15) final day at the Big Ten Championships is scheduled for an noon CDT start.
Michigan Results
Q/q = qualified for the next round
100 meter dash
Prelims
16. BreeAna Bates / 11.71 (+1.8m/s]
24. Hanna Hearn / 11.99 (+1.9m/s]
200 meter dash
Prelims
10. BreeAna Bates / 24.06 (+1.0m/s]
18. Chika Amene / 24.47 (+0.2m/s]
400 meter dash
Prelims
1. Ziyah Holman / 52.61Q
800 meter run
Prelims
6. Aurora Rynda / 2:08.62q
13. Amber Gall / 2:10.95
1,500 meter run
Prelims
8. Julia Vanitvelt / 4:23.44Q [New PR]
11. Samantha Hastie / 4:27.54
15. Sam Tran / 4:30.38Q
16. Gabby Swider / 4:30.43
26. Eva Jansohn / 4:35.16
Steeplechase
Final
2. Kayla Windemuller / 10:02.49 (Eight points)
5. Alice Hill / 10:18.50 (Four points)
100 meter hurdles
Prelims
4. Aasia Laurencin / 13.47q (+2.8m/s]
17. Carlita Taylor / 13.93 (+2.9m/s] [New PR]
400 meter hurdles
Prelims
10. Savannah Sutherland / 58.99
15. Lauren Fulcher / 60.75
Pole Vault
Final
9. Jessica Mercier / 4.08m (13-4.75)
11. Mia Manson / 3.98m (13-0.75)
14. Brooke Tjerrild / 3.98m (13-0.75)
15. Cate Visscher / 3.83m (12-6.75)
Long Jump
Final
4. Ameia Wilson / 6.08m (19-11.25) [+2.4m/s] (Five points)
14. Hannah Waller / 5.69m (18-8) [+0.9m/s]
Discus
Final
7. Corinne Jemison / 53.09m (174-2) [New PR] (Two points)
11. Amanda Schaare / 49.02m (160-10)
Heptathlon
Final
7. Theresa Mayanja / 4,882 points (Two points)
100 meter hurdles / 14.04 [+1.2m/s] (973 pts) / Place: 4
High Jump / 1.59m (5-2.5) (724 pts) / Place: 10
Shot Put / 12.07m (39-7.25) (666 pts) / Place: 4
200 meter dash / 25.89 [+1.2m/s] (807 pts) / Place: 8
Long Jump / 4.93m (16-2) [+3.2m/s] (540 pts) / Place: 11
Javelin / 32.76m (107-6) (529 pts) / Place: 5
800 meter run / 2:34.09 (643 pts) / Place: 8
8. Clare McNamara / 4,826 points (One point)
100 meter hurdles / 16.60 [+0.1m/s] (642 pts) / Place: 11
High Jump / 1.62m (5-3.75) (759 pts) [New PR] / Place: 8
Shot Put / 12.67m (41-6.75) (706 pts) [New PR] / Place: 2
200 meter dash / 26.52 [+1.3m/s] (752 pts) [New PR] / Place: 11
Long Jump / 5.29m (17-4.25) [+3.0m/s] (640 pts) / Place: 7
Javelin / 33.74m (110-8) (548 pts) / Place: 4
800 meter run / 2:23.29 (779 pts) / Place: 4
Players Mentioned
