Weekly Release #14
4/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Thu-Sat., April 25-27 -- at Penn Relays (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Fri-Sat., April 26-27 -- at Drake Relays (Des Moines, Iowa)
Fri-Sat., April 26-27 -- at Hillsdale Relays (Hillsdale, Mich.)
Wed-Thu., May 1-2 -- at Cardinal Twilight (Palo Alto, Calif.)
This Week: Triple Threat
The Wolverines will be in three different places this weekend as the Maize and Blue travels to Des Moines, Iowa, Philadelphia, Pa., and Hillsdale, Mich. The first Michigan competition gets under way Thursday (April 25) at the Drake Relays. The Drake Relays run Thursday through Saturday (April 25-27) with events running all day. U-M also competes in the Penn and Hillsdale relays on Friday and Saturday (April 26-27).
Jazwinski is Automatic
Senior tri-captain Katie Jazwinski (Grand Rapids, Mich./West Catholic HS) guaranteed her spot at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships when she ran an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 16:02.78 in the 5,000 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays last weekend (April 19). The time set a new personal best as she shaved nearly four seconds off her previous mark of 16:06.71 ran last year at the Mt. SAC Relays (April 20, 2001). The 16:02.78 run ranks as the seventh-fastest time this year in the NCAA according to www.ncaachampionships.com. It marks the second consecutive week in which she posted a top-10 national time. Two weeks ago at the Miami Invitational (April 13) Jazwinski ran an NCAA provisional time of 4:22.47, ranking sixth in the nation at that time.
Hauser-Price Sets Season Best
Freshman Sierra Hauser-Price (Van Nuys, Calif./Notre Dame Prep) followed her two-win debut at the Miami Invitational (April 13) by setting a season-best time at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational last Friday (April 19) in the 200 meters, finishing in 24.11. The time bettered her previous-best 24.53 in the event set at the Miami Invite. Hauser-Price also ran the 200 meters last Sunday (April 21) at the Mt. SAC Relays, crossing the finish line at 24.29.
Photo Finish
At the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational last Friday (April 19), freshmen Tracy Egnatuk (Albion, Mich./Albion HS) and Stephanie Hirtle (Salmon Arm, B.C./Salmon Arm Senior HS), running in separate heats of the 800 meters, placed third and fourth, respectively in the event. The two were separated by only one hundredth of a second as Egnatuk finished in 2:10.00 and Hirtle in 2:10.01. Competing in her first career varsity race, Egnatuk posted the Wolverines' second fastest 800-meter time of the outdoor season. Hirtle, running in the first heat, lowering her outdoor season-best time by 1.1 seconds. Hirtle's previous-best time was 2:11.11 set at the Stanford Invitational (March 30).
So Close
Vera Simms (Mililani, Hawaii/Mililani HS) set a personal-best time of 59.22 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational (April 19). The time bettered her previous personal-best 59.58 set at the Florida State Relays (March 23). With a run of 59.22, Simms came within two one-hundredths of a second of earning the first NCAA provisional mark of her career. The 400-meter hurdles provisional qualifying mark for the 2002 outdoor season is 59.20.
Going the Distance
Katie Ryan (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) became the first Wolverine of the season to compete in the 10,000 meters when she took to the track last Friday (April 19) at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. Ryan set a personal-best time of 35:17.47, bettering her previous best of 35:22.55 set at the 2000 Drake Relays (April 29, 2000). Ryan was two and a half seconds from posting the first NCAA provisional mark of her career in the race.
Phillips Earns Pair of NCAA Marks
April Phillips (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) earned her third and fourth NCAA provisional marks of the outdoor season with tosses of 49-1 3/4 and 50-4 3/4 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational (April 19) and Mt. SAC Relays (April 21), respectively. Phillips has now recorded a provisional mark in her last three meets.
Leaders and Best Led by Athlete of the Meet Katie Jazwinski, the U-M women's track and field team claimed its third Big Ten Conference indoor title in five years, posting three event victories and four second-place finishes to outpoint runner-up Indiana 116-114.5 on Feb. 23-24 in State College, Pa. It was the closest finish in Big Ten indoor meet's 21-year history. Jazwinski earned Athlete of the Meet honors with her 26-point performance that included a victory in the mile run and runner-up showings in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.
The Wolverines also earned titles from Ursula Taylor (Edwardsburg, Mich./Edwardsburg HS), who was crowned Big Ten champion in the 600 meters, while the team of Jane Martineau (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant HS), Vera Simms, Stephanie Hirtle and Katie Ryan took first place in the distance medley relay. Following the championships, Michigan head coach James Henry was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his 18-year career with Wolverines.
With the Wolverines' fifth Big Ten indoor team title, the Maize and Blue move into a second-place tie with Illinois for the most team titles won since the inception of the indoor championship in 1982. Wisconsin leads the Big Ten with seven team titles in the championship's 21-year history.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
