Michigan
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Webster, DMR Squad Defend Titles at Big Ten Indoors
2/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team is in second place (36 points) after the day one of the Big Ten Indoor Championships Saturday (Feb. 24) at Armory Track. Minnesota sits on top with 59 points, while Purdue is in third with 35.
One of the top performances of the evening came from the U-M distance medley of sophomore Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS), senior Chanelle Campbell (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS), fifth-year senior co-captain Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS) and junior Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey HS). The Wolverine quartet took first place with an NCAA provisional qualifying, Armory Track and Big Ten Indoor Championships record time of 11:19.68. The 2007 DMR broke last year's Big Ten record, which was set by Michigan, by 5.82 seconds. This is the fifth time in six years the Maize and Blue claimed the DMR crown, and the Wolverines' fourth straight first-place finish since 2003.
For the second year in a row, senior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) earned All-Big Ten first team honors in the 3,000m, giving the Wolverines 10 team points after claiming first place. Webster crossed the finish-line 7.26 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor, Iowa's Diane Nukuri, with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 9:25.49.
The Wolverines also earned eight points from sophomore co-captain Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich./Farmington), who took second with a career-best, NCAA automatic qualifying point total of 4,158 in the pentathlon . Wade's best finish of the evening came in the 60m hurdles (pentathlon), placing second with a personal-best time of 8.63. This is the second year in a row Wade finished as the runner-up in the event -- the highest finish by a Wolverine pentathlete since Tania Longe (1995-98) won back-to-back titles in 1997-98.
Sophomore Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) earned All-Big Ten second team honors in the long jump for the first time in her career, after jumping an NCAA provisional qualifying distance of 20-3. The sophomore Wolverine also advanced to the 60m hurdles and 60m dash finals. Ofili automatically qualified in both events after taking first place in each of her individual heats, clocking in at 8.28 in the hurdles and 7.43 in the 60m dash.
In the middle-distance, Erdman automatically qualified for the finals after posting the fastest overall time in the event, crossing the finish line 0.03 seconds shy of the 1997 facilities record of 1:30.05. Erdman's time of 1:30.08 also ties her season-best, which was set at the Simmons/Harvey Invitational on Jan. 20. Sophomore Amber Hay (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance HS) finished second in her heat with the seventh-quickest overall time of 1:33.50, while sophomore Katie LaValley (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) earned the ninth and last qualifying spot, finishing in at 1:34.35.
Continuing action in the middle-distance, Gall posted the fastest-time in the 800m run prelims after she crossed the finish line with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:08.04. Freshman Jennie Biewald (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest HS) also qualified for the 800m run finals with a personal-best time of 2:12.57, which was good enough for the seventh-quickest mark in prelims.
Edwards and fifth-year senior co-captain Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett HS) represented the Wolverines in the in the mile run; both advanced to the finals. Edwards finished with the second-fastest time in the prelims with an automatic qualifying time of 4:49.16, while Field proceeded to the finals with the eighth-quickest time (4:50.86).
Campbell was the last Wolverine to advance for the Maize and Blue, posting the ninth-fastest time in the 400m with a career-best 56.11.
The second and final day of the Big Ten Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships begins Sunday (Feb. 25) at 10:30 a.m. CST. The first scheduled event is the weight throw.
Team Standings (After Day 1)
1. Minnesota 59 2. MICHIGAN 36 3. Purdue 35 4. Wisconsin 24 5. Illinois 21 6. Penn State 20 7. Indiana 18 8. Iowa 13 9. Michigan State 8 10. Ohio State 0
Event Winners/U-M Finishes (Day 1)
60-Meter Dash (Prelims) 1. Yvonne Mensah, Illinois 7.31Q$ 3. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 7.43Q# 60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims) 1. LaNeisha Waller, Illinois 8.17Q# 3. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 8.28Q# 11. Charne Lumbus, U-M 8.62 16. Bettie Wade, U-M 8.89 200-Meter Dash (Prelims) 1. Kineke Alexander, Iowa 23.93q# 20. Shana Vinson, U-M 25.72 -- Alisha Cole, U-M DNF 400-Meter Dash (Prelims) 1. Kineke Alexander, Iowa 54.56Q# 9. Chanelle Campbell, U-M 56.11q 14. Serita Williams, U-M 57.67 19. Shana Vinson, U-M 58.79 600-Meter Run (Prelims) 1. Katie Erdman, U-M 1:30.08Q 7. Amber Hay, U-M 1:33.50q 9. Katie LaValley, U-M 1:34.35q 18. Kiana Stringfield, U-M 1:39.40 800-Meter Run (Prelims) 1. Geena Gall, U-M 2:08.04Q# 7. Jennie Biewald, U-M 2:12.57q 11. Linda Montgomery, U-M 2:16.95 Mile Run (Prelims) 1. Bridget Franek, PSU 4:46.33Q# 2. Nicole Edwards, U-M 4:49.16Q 8. Arianne Field, U-M 4:50.86q 3,000-Meter Run 1. Erin Webster, U-M 9:25.49# 12. Lisa Canty, U-M 10:14.32 13. Kelly Sampson, U-M 10:14.65 Distance Medley Relay 1. MICHIGAN 11:19.68$% (Geena Gall, Chanelle Campbell, Katie Erdman, Nicole Edwards) Long Jump 1. Yvonne Mensah, Illinois 20-8#$ (6.30m) 2. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 20-3# (6.17m) 17. Samantha Smith, U-M 18-2 1/2 (5.55m) 19. Casey Taylor, U-M 18-1 (5.51m) Pole Vault 1. Mallory Peck, Purdue 13-5 3/4#$ (4.11m) 14. Sarah Conkle, U-M 11-6 1/4 (3.51m) 19. Kristin Pearson, U-M 11-6 1/4 (3.51m) Jennifer Mehl, U-M 11-6 1/4 (3.51m) 22. Kelly Catino, U-M 11-6 1/4 (3.51m) Shot Put 1. Liz Alabi, Minnesota 52-10 3/4# (16.12m) 14. Bridgette Maynard, U-M 42-4 (12.90m) 15. Anna Wilson, U-M 36-10 1/2 (11.24m) Pentathlon 1. Liz Roehrig, Minnesota 4,177 Pts.@ 2. Bettie Wade, U-M 4,158 Pts.@ (60m H: 8.63, HJ: 5-7, SP: 39-1, LJ: 19-6, 800m: 2:20.77) 13. Samantha Smith, U-M 3,258 Pts. (60m H: 8.79, HJ:4-10 1/2, SP: 25-6 1/4, LJ: 18-1 1/2, 800m: 2:37.38) -- Joi Smith, U-M DNF (60m H: 8.81, HJ: NH, LJ: DNS, 800m: DNS) @ NCAA automatic qualifying standard # NCAA provisional qualifying standard $ Armory Track facility record Qq indicates qualification for next round
Q U O T E S
Michigan Associate Head Coach Mike McGuire
On Michigan's performance in the distance medley relay ... "I thought they did a wonderful job. Geena (Gall) got us started with a three- to four-second lead on the leadoff leg, we got a strong quarter-leg from Chanelle (Campbell), Katie (Erdman) and Nicole (Edwards) ran outstanding but relaxed in the last two legs. It's kind of neat for them to put it together to break the Big Ten record by the margin that they did. They worked well all year and it's a good reward for their hard work up to this point."
On Erin Webster's victory in the 3,000-meter run ... "Erin did a great job. She got into the lead two laps in to the race and put her spurt in. She opened up a significant gap within the first kilometer of the race and made her statement early and backed it up with strong laps afterwards. I'm just really proud of her competitive edge."
On the expectations for the finals ... "We feel we have a shot at several wins tomorrow. I believe we're capable of winning the 600, 800, mile and the 5K. Tiffany (Ofili) is capable of winning the hurdles. Now we just have to go out and compete with a great effort and things will take care of themselves if we do. We've done the work and we've prepared; I like our chances."
Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
