Michigan in Second After Opening Day of Big Ten Meet

Saturday, February 25

Madison, Wis.

Michigan

Big Ten Indoor Championships

2/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field

MADISON, Wis. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team is in second place with 41.5 points after the first day (Saturday, Feb. 25) of the Big Ten Indoor Championships at Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center. Minnesota sits on top with 51 points, and Wisconsin (32.5) is in third.

Michigan made its move up the scoring ladder in the last two events, earning a total of 28 points in the 3,000-meter run and distance medley relay. In the 3,000m junior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) and senior/junior Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves) took first and second place, respectively. Both runners finished with NCAA provisional qualifying times, with Webster coming in at 9:20.42 and Walter clocking a season-best 9:20.54. Fifth-year senior Ana Gjesdal (La Crescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley) just missed scoring as she took ninth (9:52.37).

The action for Michigan continued as the Maize and Blue took first place in the DMR, setting a new facility record as well as a new Big Ten Championships meet record with a time of 11:25.50. The record-setting team consisted of sophomore Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's), freshman Amber Hay (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance), freshman Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and senior/junior Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac).

Running the first leg, Kohlmeier opened up a gap at the 400 meter-mark, giving U-M a lead it would never relinquish. As Hay took over the baton, she maintained the 10-meter lead before passing the baton to Gall. As Gall began her leg, runners from Minnesota and Iowa started to close down the lead, but toward the final stretch Gall pulled away from the pack, allowing Erdman to cruise to the finish line 6.04 seconds ahead of second-place Iowa.

The Wolverines also earned points in the pentathlon with freshman Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich./Farmington) taking second with 3,977 points, just six points behind Minnesota's Liz Roehrig. Wade's second-place finish is the highest finish by a Wolverine pentathlete since Tania Longe (1995-98) won back-to-back titles in 1997-98.

Fifth-year senior/junior Jennifer Williams (Burton, Mich./Atherton) tied for third in the pentathlon with a personal best and NCAA provisional qualifying 3,950 points. Williams also set a personal best in the pentathlon 60m hurdles with her time of 9.42.

In addition, the Maize and Blue qualified six athletes for Sunday's finals in their respective events. In the 60m hurdles, freshman Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) advanced after taking first place in the first heat with a Camp Randall Sports Center record of 8.48, a mark that was later lowered in each of the two subsequent heats.

Sophomore Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey) set herself apart from the pack as she was able to become the first Wolverine to qualify for both the 800m and the mile since 1995, when former Wolverine and current Illinois distance coach Karen Harvey (1992-95) took second place in both events. Edwards finished second in her 800m heat (2:12.31) to automatically advance and was third (4:51.57) in the faster of the two mile heats to easily advance on time.

Also qualifying for finals were Hay, who won her 600m heat in 1:34.03; Erdman, who took first place of the fifth 600m heat with a time of 1:31.92; and Gall, who claimed first place in the second heat of the 800m with a time of 2:11.90.

The second and final day of the Big Ten Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships begins at 9:30 a.m. CST Sunday (Feb. 26) with the weight throw.

Team Standings (After Day 1)

 1. Minnesota 51 2. MICHIGAN 41.5 3. Wisconsin 32.5 4. Purdue 27 5. Illinois 20 6. Ohio State 17 7. Penn State 16 8. Michigan State 11 9. Indiana 10 10. Iowa 8

Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 1)

60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 8.48Q% 4. Samantha Smith, U-M 8.93 Heat 3 1. Aleesha Barber, PSU 8.40Q% 6. Kiersten Isgrigg, U-M 8.88 7. Joi Smith, U-M 9.18 200-Meter Dash (Prelims) Heat 3 1. Kineke Alexander, Iowa 24.05Q# 3. Chanelle Campbell, U-M 25.14 400-Meter Dash (Prelims) Heat 3 1. Camille Robinson, Illinois 56.77Q 4. Shavonne Maclin, U-M 1:03.08 Heat 5 1. Shana Cox, PSU 55.80Q 3. Serita Williams, U-M 57.61 600-Meter Run (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Amber Hay, U-M 1:34.03Q 4. Katie LaValley, U-M 1:37.44 Heat 3 1. Pam Wolf, Illinois 1:31.98Q 3. Linda Montgomery, U-M 1:35.52 Heat 5 1. Katie Erdman, U-M 1:31.92Q 800-Meter Run (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Heather Dorniden, Minnesota 2:11.61Q 6. Laura Glynn, U-M 2:14.65 Heat 2 1. Geena Gall, U-M 2:11.90Q 2. Nicole Edwards, U-M 2:12.31Q 6. Melissa Dunn, U-M 2:15.45 Mile Run (Prelims) Heat 2 1. Emily Brown, Minnesota 4:47.67Q 3. Nicole Edwards, U-M 4:51.57q 6. Arianne Field, U-M 4:59.43 3,000-Meter Run 1. Erin Webster, U-M 9:20.42# 2. Rebecca Walter, U-M 9:20.54# 9. Ana Gjesdal, U-M 9:52.37 17. Lisa Canty, U-M 10:26.62 Distance Medley Relay 1. Michigan 11:25.50%$# (Alyson Kohlmeier, Amber Hay, Geena Gall, Katie Erdman) Long Jump 1. Yvonne Mensah, Illinois 20-1 1/2# (6.13m) 10. Casey Taylor, U-M 18-9 (5.71m) 12. Bettie Wade, U-M 18-8 (5.69m) 14. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 18-5 3/4 (5.63m) Pole Vault 1. Blair Luethmers, Wisconsin 13-1 3/4$# (4.01m) 11. Kelly Catino, U-M 12-2 (3.71m) 16. Kristen Pearson, U-M 11-8 (3.56m) T17. Jen Mehl, U-M 11-8 (3.56m) T17. Elizabeth Boyle, U-M 11-8 (3.56m) Shot Put 1. Jennifer Leatherman, PSU 53-5# (16.28m) 16. Jamie Barbour, U-M 42-4 1/4 (12.91m) Pentathlon 1. Liz Roehrig, Minnesota 3983 pts.# 2. Bettie Wade, U-M 3977 pts.# T3. Jennifer Williams, U-M 3950 pts.# 13. Beth Vinckier, U-M 3390 pts. 16. Samantha Smith, U-M 3093 pts. $ Big Ten Indoor Championships record % Camp Randall record # NCAA provisional qualifier @ Michigan school indoor record Qq indicates qualification for next round