Michigan
Big Ten Indoor Championships (Day 1)
Phillips Wins Shot Put, U-M Atop Crowded Team Standings
3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Behind senior tri-captain April Phillips' (Fraser, Mich./Fraser HS) second career Big Ten shot put title, the University of Michigan women's track and field team ended the first day of the Big Ten Conference Indoor Championships 0.5 points ahead of meet host Indiana for first place. Michigan ended the first day of action Saturday (March 1) with a meet-high 36.5 points, followed closerly by Indiana (36), Wisconsin (33) and Purdue (32). Last year at the indoor championships Michigan and Indiana battled down the last event, with the Wolverines taking home the title in the closest race in meet history (116-114.5).
| | Phillips added the indoor shot put crown to the outdoor title she won in 2002. |
Additional scoring in the shot put came from junior Melissa Bickett (Akron, Ohio/Revere HS), who posted a third-place finish with a personal-best throw of 51-5 1/2. Bickett's throw bettered her second-place mark of 50-4 3/4 at the indoor meet last year at Penn State.
Michigan's efforts were forwarded in the distance medley relay as the team clocked in at 11:45.56, earning eight points for the Wolverines. U-M earned its second third-place finish of the championships when freshman Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) clocked in at 9:40.25. Following the 2002 Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year across the finish line was junior/sophomore Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS), who finished sixth in 9:53.05.
Senior pole vaulter Anna Fisher (Ann Arbor, Mich./Gabriel Richard HS) saved her best performance for last as she vaulted to her best career finish at the indoor championships, tying for fifth. Her height of 11-11 3/4 was her career best in a Big Ten meet as her previous best height stood at 11-7 set at the 2001 conference indoor meet.
Michigan earned a crucial point in the pentathlon as freshman Beth Vinckier (Yale, Mich./Yale HS) placed eighth with a total score of 3,352 in her first true pentathlon competition. During the year she has been competing in multi-events, but Saturday marked the first time she had competed in all five (high jump, 60-meter hurdles, long jump, 800-meter run and shot put) in a single meet.
Michigan also had a number of qualifiers for Sunday's finals in the 600 and 800 meters as well as the mile run. The Wolverines sent three to the finals of the 600-meter run as Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS), Jennifer Kulchar (Burton, Mich./Burton HS) and Jennifer Wendling (Chesaning, Mich./New Lothrop HS) qualified to run on Sunday.
The Maize and Blue also will send two into the 800-meters final with senior tri-captain Rachel Sturtz (Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City HS) leading the way as an automatic qualifier with a victory in second of three heats. Sturtz, the 2001 Big Ten indoor 800-meter champion, will be joined by sophomore Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele HS) in tomorrow's race. Gallo also qualified in a mid-distance final as she won her heat of the mile with a time of 4:56.72.
On the short course U-M's Robin Landfair (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) qualified for the 60-meter hurdles final with a personal-best time of 8.46. Her time is only 0.05 seconds off the Michigan school record of 8.41 set by Tania Longe (1995-98) in 1998. Michigan also has three finalists in the 400-meter dash with Vera Simms (Mililani Hawaii/Mililani HS), Shavonne Maclin (University Heights, Ohio/Beaumont School) and Keri Kirk (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) suiting up for another day of competition.
The Wolverines look to secure their second consecutive Big Ten indoor title when the final day of the Big Ten Indoor Championships begins Sunday at 10 a.m. in Gladstein Fieldhouse on the campus of Indiana Unversity.
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Michigan 36.50 2. Indiana 36 3 Wisconsin 33 4 Purdue 32 5. Penn State 28.50 6. Ohio State 19 7. Minnesota 18.50 8. Illinois 15 9. Iowa 9.50 10. Michigan State 6
Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 1)
60-meter Hurdles (Prelims) Heat 2 1. Perdita Felician, Illinois 8.05Q 3. Robin Landfair, U-M 8.46q 5. Vera Simms, U-M 8.94 400-meter Dash (Prelims) Heat 3 1. Vera Simms, U-M 56.18Q Heat 4 1. Kou Luogan, Minnesota 56.32Q 2. Keri Kirk, U-M 57.44Q Heat 5 1. Shavonne Maclin, U-M 57.51Q Heat 6 1. Carly Knazze, U-M 57.93 600-meter Dash (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Jennifer Kulchar, U-M 1:33.80Q Heat 2 1. Aisha Hume, Iowa 1:32.69Q 3. Jennifer Wendling, U-M 1:37.40q Heat 3 1. Katie Erdman, U-M 1:30.33Q% 800-meter Run (Prelims) Heat 2 1. Rachel Sturtz, U-M 2:12.35Q Heat 3 1. Mindy Peterson, Indiana 2:11.50Q 2. Theresa Feldkamp, U-M 2:12.30q Mile Run (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Bethany Brewster, Wisconsin 4:55.04Q 7. Edna Kollarits, U-M 5:16.64 Heat 2 1. Lindsey Gallo, U-M 4:56.72Q 7. Jessica Wagner, U-M 5:19.15 Heat 3 1. Tracy Brauksieck, Penn State 4:57.56Q 3. Sarah Pizzo, U-M 5:01.07 3,000-meter Run (Final) 1. Bethany Brewster, Wisconsin 9:36.22 3. Rebecca Walter, U-M 9:40.25 6. Lindsey Gallo, U-M 9:53.05 18. Lauren Weddell, U-M 10:28.93 21. Amy Baker, U-M 10:32.74 Distance Medley Relay (Final) 1. Penn State 11:38.33 2. Michigan 11:45.56 Long Jump (Final) 1. Rose Richmond, Indiana 21-2 1/4#% (6.48m) 9. Vera Simms, U-M 18-1 1/2 (5.52m) Pole Vault (Final) 1. Simona Kovacic, Purdue 12-10 (3.91m) T5. Anna Fisher, U-M 11-11 3/4 (3.65m) 11. Elizabeth Boyle, U-M 11-11 3/4 (3.65m) 14. Lynn Gasparella, U-M 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) Shot Put (Final) 1. April Phillips, U-M 54-2*% (16.51m) 3. Melissa Bickett, U-M 51-5 1/2# (15.68m) 19. Ashley Eckel, U-M 41-10 1/2 (12.76m) Pentathlon (Final) 1. Nicholette Chambers, OSU 3,793 pts. 8. Beth Vinckier, U-M 3,352 % Big Ten meet record * NCAA automatic qualifier # NCAA provisional qualifier Qq indicates qualification for next round
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
