Michigan
Red Simmons Invitational
Phillips, Williams Set Tone in Red Simmons Invitational
1/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team received strong performances from April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS), TaNisha Williams (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS) and Ursula Taylor (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg HS) as the Wolverines took four first-place finishes in the non-scoring Red Simmons Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 19).
For the third consecutive week Phillips broke her own school record in the weight throw, as she threw 55-9 3/4 for a first-place finish. Phillips' throw was almost four feet farther then her nearest competitor, teammate Melissa Bickett (Akron Ohio/Revere HS) who threw a personal-best 51-10 1/2. Ashley Eckel, competing unattached for Michigan, made it a 1-2-3 finish when she smashed her own personal best with throw of 50-1 1/4. Following the weight throw, Phillips took second place in the shot put with a toss of 51-1 1/2.
Williams won a pair of events for the Maize and Blue as she took first place in both the long jump (19-2) and the 60-meter high hurdles (8.66). Williams won the same two events two weeks ago when the Wolverines hosted the Jack Harvey Invitational (Jan. 5). Her time in the 60-meter hurdles bested her previous mark of 8.72, which she set at the Indiana Dual (Jan. 12).
Following Williams in the 60-meter hurdles were three other Wolverines, the nearest being Sharifa Jones (Marietta, Ga./Wheeler HS), who set a personal-best time as she crossed the line in 8.72. Robin Landfair and Vera Simms completed Michigan's sweep in the event as they crossed the line in 8.89 and 8.90, respectively.
In her first appearance of the season in the 800 meters, Taylor won the event with a team season-best time of 2:11.19. The victory was Taylor's second of 2002. She won the 600-meters at the Indiana dual in a time of 1:34.46.
The Wolverines return to the U-M Track Building next Saturday (Jan. 26) when the Maize and Blue hosts the Michigan Intercollegiate with field, events to start at noon and running events to begin at 2 p.m.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
