Weekly Release #14

4/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sat., April 28-29 -- at Drake Relays (Des Moines, Iowa)
Friday, May 5 -- at Cardinal Twilight (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Saturday, May 6 -- at Toledo Invitational (Toledo, Ohio)
Sunday, May 7 -- at Jesse Owens Classic (Columbus, Ohio)

Wolverines to Compete at Prestigious Drake Relays
The University of Michigan women's track team will participate at one of the oldest and prominent events in the country C the Drake Relays. The 91st Annual event hosted by Drake University will take place Friday and Saturday (April 28-29) in Des Moines, Iowa at Drake Stadium. The Relays are expected to have a sellout crowd on Saturday of 18,000. The Saturday program has been a sellout for the past 34 years, which is the longest in U.S. track history.

Record Number of Athletes to Compete
Drake Relay officials reported a record amount (9,166) of athletes representing 791 teams from college and high school as well as unattached competitors will participate at the event. In the women's university division, 921 athletes from 73 schools will compete, with the largest representation coming from Central Michigan and Nebraska with 32 each. Michigan is making its first appearance in the women's university division.

Top Athletes Competing
With the vast number of track and field competitors applying to participate at the Drake Relays only the athletes with top times and distances will be allowed to compete. Athletes just missing the top scores will be considered alternates to replace competitors who drop out or are injured.

*Michigan Accepted Competitors*
Athlete	Event
Sarah Hamilton	800-meter run
Katie Clifford	3,000-meter run
Tasha Phillips	100-meter hurdles
Tamika Craig	400-meter hurdles
Brandi Bentley	Long Jump
4x100-meter hurdle relay
4x100-meter relay
4x200-meter relay
4x400-meter relay
*Michigan Alternates*
Athlete	Event
Adrienne Hunter	800-meter run
Rachel Sturtz	800-meter run 1,500-meter run
Nicole Johnson	800-meter run
Robin Landfair	100-meter hurdles
Nicole Denamur	High Jump
Tanisha Williams	High Jump Long Jump
Candice Mullings	Pole Vault
Teyonna Simpson	Triple Jump
Tasha Phillips	Triple Jump
April Phillips	Shot Put Hammer Throw
Erin Massengale	Discus

Wolverines Finish in Middle at Ohio State Triangular
Michigan finished the Ohio State Triangular on Saturday (April 22) at the Jesse Owens Track and Field Complex in Columbus, Ohio, with 144 points to place between the host Buckeyes (150) and Seton Hall (83).

The Wolverines were led by three first-place finishers. Erica Murdock (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights HS) won the 800-meter dash with a season-best time of 2:14.15, while Tasha Phillips (Sarasota, Fla./Booker HS) was tops in the triple jump with a leap of 38-5 (11.71 meters). Erin White's (Battle Creek, Mich./Central HS) 3,000-meter run time of 10:14.7 outlasted teammate Katie Easton's (Fort Gratiot, Mich./Port Huron Northern HS) second-place time of 10:35.6.

Brown Bomber
Maria Brown (Kingston, Jamaica/Immaculate Conception HS) had to face some of the nation's top sprinters this past weekend at the Ohio State Triangular. Brown, the Wolverines' record holder in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash for indoor, competed in her first 100-meter dash of the outdoor season and placed third to NCAA provisional qualifiers Donica Merriman of Ohio State and Seton Hall's Nolle Graham. Brown also nosed out by Merriman in the 200-meter dash, 24.78 to 24.84.

Making Progress
Of the 12 Wolverines making season-best times and distances at Ohio State, the most significant performances came from 5,000-meter runners Julie Froud (St. Marys, Ontario/St. Marys D.C.V.I.), who bettered her time from 17:45.49 to 17:27, and Jeanne Spink (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS), who improved from 18:46.02 to 18:21.00; and Sarah Hamilton (Canton, Mich./Salem HS), who dropped 2.2 seconds off her 800-meter run time (2:17.04 to 2:14.81).

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423