Weekly Release #17

Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sun., May 17-19 -- at Big Ten Outdoor Championships (Madison, Wis.)
Wed-Sat., May 29-June 1 -- at NCAA Outdoor Championships (Baton Rouge, La.)

This Week
The University of Michigan men's track and field team will head to Madison, Wis., to compete at the Big Ten Conference Outdoor Championships. Competition will start on Friday (May 17) at the Dan McClimon Track and will run through Sunday (May 19). This marks the third time the Big Ten Outdoor Championships have been hosted by Wisconsin. In 1986, the Badgers won the men and women's title on their home turf and in 1994 Michigan captured the women's championship while Illinois was victorious in the men's field. This year, Wisconsin will look to defend the men's title and Indiana is hoping to repeat as women's champion as 10 schools (Northwestern does not sponsor a track program) will compete in 21 events for both men and women.

Michigan at the Big Ten Championships
Michigan has won the most Big Ten Outdoor Championship men's team titles with 30, the last coming in 1983. Illinois is second on the list with 28. The Wolverines won four consecutive team titles three times: 1901-04, 1937-40 and 1980-83. Last year the Maize and Blue posted 43 points, which tied for eighth place. Pacing the Wolverines was senior tri-captain Mike Wisniewski (Temperance, Mich./Bedford HS) as he won the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:49.65. Fellow tri-captain Ike Okenwa (San Diego, Calif./Morse HS) contributed with a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter dash and Oded Padan (1998-2001) was third in the triple jump with a mark of 49-7.

Returning Champ
Senior tri-captain Mike Wisniewski will look to defend his Big Ten championship in the 10,000-meter run when he runs on Friday (May 17) at 7:15 p.m. CDT. Wisniewski established the fastest time this year in the conference for the 10,000-meter run when he automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships with a mark of 28:55.89 at the Stanford Invitational (March 30). Nick Winkel of Wisconsin owns the second fastest time in the Big Ten this year with a mark of 29:01.39.

Last Week Recap
Michigan had a successful weekend as it hosted its only home meet of the outdoor season, the Len Paddock Invitational (May 10-11). Two members of the Wolverines squad likely earned trips to the NCAA Championships (May 29-June 1) in Baton Rouge, La., as freshman Alan Webb (Reston, Va./South Lakes HS) automatically qualified in the 1,500-meter run and classmate Nathan Brannen (Cambridge, Ontario/Preston HS) provisionally qualified in the 800-meter run. Webb's time of 1:41.46 placed second in the 1,500-meter run to former Alabama All-American Tim Broe (3:40.67), while Brannen won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:47.62. Michigan also received a top performance in the 4x100-meter relay as Ike Okenwa, junior Kevin Lamb (East Lansing, Mich./Haslett HS), sophomore Anthony Beal (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) and freshman Nathan Taylor (Courtenay, B.C./GP Vanier HS) combined for a time of 41.02. In the 400-meter hurdles, junior tri-captain Derek Applewhite (Brighton, Colo./Brighton HS) posted the fastest time out of the 20-person field with a career-best time of 51.30.

Cajun Cooking
Michigan has two runners guaranteed spots at the NCAA Championships in Baton Rouge, La., from May 29 through June 1. Senior tri-captain Mike Wisniewski and freshman Alan Webb both own automatic qualifying times as Wisniewski ran a time of 28:55.89 in the 10,000-meter run at the Stanford Invitational (March 30) and Webb posted a mark of 1:41.46 in the 1,500-meter run at the Len Paddock Invitational (May 10). Freshman Nathan Brannen will likely be the third member of the Maize and Blue to make the trip as he posted an NCAA provisional time of 1:47.62 in the 800-meter run. Brannen's time is currently the fifth fastest time in the nation in the 800-meter run as of May 13 and the NCAA field for the event consists of 20 runners.

Stacking Them Up
According to the NCAA Championships official web site -- www.ncaachampionships.com -- freshmen Alan Webb and Nathan Brannen and senior Mike Wisniewski all own times that place in the top 14 in the nation of their respective events as of May 13. Brannen leads the way for Michigan as his mark of 1:47.62 in the 800-meter run is the fifth fastest time in the nation. In the 1,500-meter run, Webb has the sixth fastest time at 3:41.46 and in the 10,000-meter run Wisniewski owns the 14th fastest mark at 28:55.89.

Tops in the Big Ten
Freshmen Alan Webb and Nathan Brannen and senior Mike Wisniewski all own the fastest times in the Big Ten Conference in their respective events according to the Big Ten Conference. Webb also owns one of the top times in the 800-meter run, while three other Wolverines own times that are among the five fastest in the conference for their event.

Michigan Performers in the Big Ten Top Five

100-meter Dash 1. Tim Dodge, Iowa 10.43 3. Ike Okenwa, U-M 10.52 400-meter Dash 1. Adam Steele, Minnesota 46.15 5. Kevin Lamb, U-M 47.15 400-meter Hurdles 1. Mikael Jakobsson, Minnesota 50.10 5. Derek Applewhite, U-M 51.30 800-meter Run 1. Nathan Brannen, U-M 1:47.62 3. Alan Webb, U-M 1:49.46 1,500-meter Run 1. Alan Webb, U-M 3:41.46 10,000-meter Run 1. Mike Wisniewski, U-M 28:55.89

In the Books
Freshmen Alan Webb and Nathan Brannen and senior Mike Wisniewski have all earned places in the Michigan history books this season. In the 1,500-meter run, Webb's time of 1:41.46 is the third fastest time in Wolverine history. Brannen owns the fourth fastest time by a Michigan runner in the 800-meter run at 1:47.62 and Wisniewski's mark of 28:55.89 is the fifth fastest time in the 10,000-meter run.

Another Career Best
Junior tri-captain Derek Applewhite continues to cut time off his personal best in the 400-meter hurdles this year. At the Penn Relays (April 25-27), Applewhite established a personal best time of 51.58. Two weeks later, Applewhite won the 400-meter hurdles at the Len Paddock Invitational with a new career-best time of 51.30. In Applewhite's last four races he has earned a finish of no lower than sixth place.

Every Time Out
Freshman Nathan Brannen is getting used to posting NCAA provisional marks when he runs. After an NCAA provisional mark in the 800-meter run (1:47.62) at the Len Paddock Invitational, Brannen has now established seven NCAA provisional times in four different events.

Brannen's Provisional Times in 2002

OUTDOOR
800-meter run	1:47.62	5/11 at Len Paddock Invitational
800-meter run	1:48.92	5/5 at Jesse Owens Classic
INDOOR
3,000-meter run	8:09.06	1/19 at Red Simmons Invitational
Mile	4:01.40	1/28 at Boston Indoor Games
Mile	4:02.12	2/2 at George Mason Patriot Games
Distance Medley Relay	9:41.96	2/8 at USTCA Collegiate Challenge
800-meter run	1:48.73	2/9 at USTCA Collegiate Challenge

Youth Movement
The Wolverines will be counting on several freshmen to contribute at the Big Ten Championships besides Alan Webb and Nathan Brannen. In the sprints Nathan Taylor will be expected to be a key contributor, while DarNell Talbert (San Diego, Calif./Mt. Carmel HS) is expected to compete in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles. Other freshmen that will be looked to in hopes of scoring points are Sean Moore (Saline, Mich./Saline HS), Darren Adams (Mentor, Ohio/St. Ignatius HS), Seth Waits (Grand Rapids, Ohio/Otsego HS) and Tarn Leach (East Jordan, Mich./East Jordan HS).