Michigan
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Big Ten Champs! Wolverine Women Claim First Indoor Title Since 2016
2/25/2023 11:20:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Institute)
Event: Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Result: 1st of 13 Teams (109 pts)
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., March 10-11 -- at NCAA Indoor Championships - Day 1 (Albuquerque, N.M.), Time TBA
• Complete Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
GENEVA, Ohio -- The Michigan women's track and field team won the Big Ten indoor title on Saturday (Feb. 25), closing out the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the SPIRE Institute with 109 total points behind four Big Ten individual titles and four school record efforts on the final day of competition.
Michigan finished the championships with 109 points and clinched its first indoor title since 2016. U-M led by 17 points entering the final race and earned points from every event group. The team title marked head coach Kevin Sullivan's first indoor championship with the Wolverines,after taking over as Director of Track and Field and Cross Country last year.
Ziyah Holman secured the first individual title of the day for Michigan, winning the 400 meters after running neck-and-neck with teammate Savannah Sutherland, who finished second. Holman ran 51.39 and set a school record and career-best as she earned the fastest time in the Big Ten. Sutherland also beat the previous record in the race, running 51.41 and setting a career-best. Holman and Sutherland hold the top-five fastest times for the 400-meters in the Big Ten.
The second individual title of the day went to Aurora Rynda in the 600 meters, as she ran 1:27.30 to win gold for the fourth time in her career. She has never lost the 600 meters in her collegiate career at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, winning in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. She did not compete in the indoor season in 2021.
Sophomore triple jumper Riley Ammenhauser won U-M's third individual title of the day, leaping a career-best and school record 13.18 meters in her second jump (43 feet, 3 inches). Ammenhaser beat the school record -- one she already held -- twice in six jumps, jumping 13.14 meters (43 feet, 1.5 inches) on her fifth jump. The event was highlighted by massive support from her teammates, with a crowd of Wolverines surrounding Ammenhauser to celebrate her big win. Nadia Saunders leapt 12.82 meters (42 feet, 0.75 inches), a lifetime best by two feet, to take fifth place in the event and secure four points for the Wolverines to help solidify the team win.
U-M's Sophie Isom, Savannah Sutherland, Nikki Stephens and Ziyah Holman destroyed the competition as they ran a school record 3:30.63 in the 4x400 relay, finishing nearly three seconds faster than the previous record. The race remained close until the end, with Holman besting Ohio State's Bryannia Murphy in a one-on-one dash to the finish. The group now holds the eighth best time in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten, granting them an excellent chance to qualify for NCAAs.
Sutherland also set a school record in the 200 meters, running 23.51 for fourth place. The previous record of 23.58 was also set by Sutherland during Friday's preliminaries.
In the distance events, the Wolverines contributed points across multiple events. Anna Juul and Sam Tran took third and fifth in the mile final, respectively. Juul ran 4:36.75 to earn eight points while Tran ran 4:43.39 and contributed four points. In the 3,000 meters, Kayla Windemuller ran 9:21.32 to take fifth while Samantha Saenz took seventh in 9:22.51.
Corinne Jemison contributed points in the field, taking sixth in the shot put to earn three points. Jemison heaved the shot put 16.47 meters (54 feet, 0.5 inches) for a career-best.
In addition to the trophy, the Wolverines had nine athletes earn All-Big Ten recognition over the course of the championships. First teamers include Ammenhauser, Holman, Isom, Juul, Rynda, Stephens, Sutherland and Tran. Aasia Laurencin earned a second-team nod.
Michigan will now head to the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 10-11.
Players Mentioned
